City Shadows Arc 3: 12 Signs and the Shadow Legion
by Zephyros-Phoenix
Summary: COMPLETE - Sequel to Arc 2, DragoxOC, OCxOC. Summer is here and the Shadow Strikers are looking forward to some peaceful relaxation. However, the Shadow Legion, once led by Tzan Ren, resurfaces and sets their sights on Earth and the mysterious 12 Signs. But with Tzan Ren dead, who is leading them now? And what of the Light-Bringer? How is he the key to defeating the darkness?
1. Under New Management

**I'll be honest guys, I was trying to see how long I could wait to post this. But since I started working on chapter 2 already, I figured, why not? Plus I'm about to buckle down for assignments and papers, so... yeah. Anyway, I'm honestly so amazed that we made it this far into a series of stories and I appreciate all the support and feedback you guys have given.**

**For newcomers, this is the third installment of a series. So, while not required, it is highly recommended you go and read arcs 1 and 2 before starting this. I will not be answering stupid questions that can be answered in arcs 1 and 2.**

* * *

"So whad'ya guys think?" Drago asked.

"Uh, I dunno. I mean, I may not know much about human stuff, but doesn't the flame decal seem a bit cliche?" Liam asked.

"Yeah, I gotta go with Liam on this one," Remy agreed.

"What are you guys talking about? The flame decal is cool! And it's perfect for me!" Drago argued as he climbed off the black motorcycle with orange and yellow flame decal.

"Perfect or not, can you even afford it?" Remy asked.

"Well… no."

"Yeah and I don't think Mala would be cool with you renewing your membership to the five finger discount. Mavis told me about that, I still don't get what it means!" Liam exclaimed.

"I guess I'll need to get a job then. But think about it! How cool would having a motorcycle be? Chicks dig guys on motorcycles," Drago said.

"They do? Maybe I should get one…" Liam pondered. "Whad'ya say, Remy? Why don't you get one too? You could get a nice black and green one. Eh? I know you love black and green," Liam suggested, playfully elbowing Remy in his side.

"Yeah, ok having a motorcycle would be pretty cool. And fairly efficient too if we ever got in a road chase. I doubt Tim will be willing to let us use the car his parents are buying him. Oh, why not?" Remy conceded.

"Yes!" Liam exclaimed.

"But there is still the issue of how to pay for them," Remy added.

"Hey, why don't you ask Mala? She makes a ton of money selling all that jewelry she makes. Makes me wish I had a Demon Chi like that. What can I make money with off Shadow and Sound Demon Chi?" Liam asked.

"Nah, I can't ask her for the money. I'm almost nineteen and I need to be able to pay for my own things. It'd be embarrassing to get money from my girlfriend. Plus, Mala's birthday's coming up next month anyway, so yeah."

"Well, I guess that means we're going to need to find jobs," Liam sighed.

As the three of them strolled down the street, they met up with Mala and Tim.

"Where's Mavis?" Liam asked.

"In there," Tim pointed to the restaurant they were standing outside of.

"What's this?" Remy asked.

"It's some new breakfast buffet place that just opened up over the weekend," Mala explained. "Mavis ran right inside the minute she saw it."

"I'm not surprised. It's a combination of two of her favorite things: breakfast foods and all you can eat buffets," Liam commented.

"Well, in her defence, who doesn't love all you can eat buffets?" Mala asked.

"Not to mention the ability to eat breakfast foods during every other time besides breakfast. The hours say it's open all day," Tim added.

"Well, I'm starving. Let's get something to eat," Drago said, opening the door for them all to go in. The five went in and found Mavis sitting alone at a large table that she saved for the rest of them. Apparently by the time they got her, she had already finished her second helping of pancakes and was back to the buffet line for her third. By the time they finished, Mavis alone went through two whole cans of whipped cream. On their way out, she paid for a third one, which she casually ate by spraying the whipped cream right in her mouth as they made their way to Kuang's store.

"What is with you and the whipped cream?" Remy asked.

"It's the best thing ever! I go through a can in like a minute! Sadly, that's why whipped cream isn't allowed in the house anymore. Whenever we have strawberries or pie, there's never any whipped cream because of the dreaded whipped cream bandit," Mavis explained.

"Right, and would this whipped cream bandit have long reddish-brown hair in pigtails and be wearing a black cat-eared hat?" Liam asked.

"Maaaaaybe," Mavis sang. When they turned the corner to Kuang's store, all six of them gasped in surprise at the piled up boxes and moving van parked outside the entrance. "What the hell?" Mavis exclaimed.

"Kuang, what's going on?" Mala asked as they made their way inside past the boxes and movers to Kuang at the back of the shop.

"Yeah, what's with the movers and boxes?" Liam added.

"Oh, it's nothing kids. I'm just retiring!" he replied happily.

"Retiring? How come?" Tim asked.

"Well kids, I'm pretty old and honestly between surviving an attack on my shop by a Dark Chi Wizard and nearly having the city overrun with Demon Sorcerers, I think it's high time I just sit back, relax and just enjoy the rest of my life."

"But then what's going to happen to the store?" Remy asked.

"And the workshop?" Tim added.

"And spell ingredients?" Mala added.

"Now, now, now," Kuang said, waving his hands to quiet them down. "I'll still be around. I am your landlord after all," he added, looking at Liam, Drago and Remy. "So I'll still be able to privately order you whatever ingredients you need. And you can always just prepare the spells in your apartment, I'll allow it. Just, you know, open some windows when you do. As for the store, I'm selling the space."

"Selling? To who?" Drago asked.

"Me." The six of them turned to see a tall, well-built young man with long golden hair tied in a low, loose braid. He wore a dark blue sweater with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, white pants and black dress shoes. But the most eye catching detail about him was the beautiful star-shaped, yellow amulet around his neck.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet my son, Arran," Kuang said.

"Your son?" they exclaimed in surprise.

"No offence, but you two don't look much alike," Mala pointed out.

"Haha, I get that a lot. It's because I get my looks from my mother," Arran replied. "Anyway, my dad's told me a lot about you guys. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Let me guess. Liam, Tim, Mavis, Mala, Drago and… Remington, was it?" Arran asked, pointing at each of them as he flawlessly to match got their names correct.

"Yeah, but you can just call me Remy for short," Remy replied.

"Ah, will do."

"So if you don't mind us asking, why did you buy the store?" Mala asked.

"Well, when dad decided to retire, he was looking for someone to buy the store from him. I was just finishing up my degree in Greek history and mythology and thought, why don't I buy it? I'm going to turn it into a little restaurant; I've always wanted to own one. And it'll be nice to keep the space in the family."

"A restaurant? Awesome! What kind of cuisine? When are you opening?" Mavis asked.

"Well, there's still a lot of renovations to be done, so it might be a while before I can open for business. Plus, I need to hire some staff. Any of you interested in a job?" Arran asked.

"Oh, oh! We are!" Liam exclaimed, pointing to himself, Drago and Remy, who nodded in agreement.

"Great!"

"Oh, are you gonna have a bar? If so, can I be the bartender?" Mavis asked.

"Mavis the drinking age is twenty one. You're still only seventeen," Tim pointed out.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I can't mix drinks!" she protested.

"Haha, I'm sure I can find something for you to do around here," Arran said.

* * *

Deep in the Demon Netherworld, Hei Gou sat obediently waiting for his master as two demons stood nearby him. The first was a humanoid demon with a long jacket, light armor and a long, thin black blade strapped to his back. The other was a gigantic titan made of dark stones and swirling shadows oozing from parts of the golem. In the distance coming towards them was An Gou, Hei's other half. The pair of demon dogs were twins with Hei being the larger, stronger male and An being the thinner, faster female. Following her was a similarly humanoid demon dressed head to toe in light armor with a tattered cloak and hood. Across her back she had a quiver and a black bow in her hand. When she arrived to the other two demons, the golem demon spoke.

"About time, Hou Yi! Do you realize how long we've been waiting!" the golem growled.

"Oh shut your overgrown gullet, Wei Gong. The mutt couldn't have had worse timing!" Hou Yi bit back while throwing a glare at An Gou.

"Psh, busy with Tso Lan again?" the sword wielding demon asked. "I have to ask, how freaky does it get with him with those four arms and that tongue?"

"What I do with my time is my business, Jun Bing! Why have we been summoned?"

"Isn't it obvious? Our master has called us. As his loyal Demon Commanders, it is our duty to him to answer," Wei simply replied.

"But that is impossible. Our master is dead! The Shadow Legion disbanded!" Hou Yi protested.

"Don't believe everything you hear, Hou Yi." The three demons turned to the source of the voice as a large, shadow formed over them. A pair of bright red eyes opened in the shadows and glared at them below as Hou Yi gasped in surprise.

"M-master! Y-you live?" she exclaimed in pure shock.

"The crystal wench may have destroyed my body, but with her death, I was freed from the prison she left me in," the shadow spoke.

"We knew you would return, master," Wei said faithfully.

"What do you command of us?" Jun asked.

"I have waited long enough for what is rightfully mine. I may be trapped in this form, but I know of a way to get my body back."

"How?" Hou Yi asked.

"You all remember my dear twin sister, yes?" the shadow asked.

"Shuo Guang," Wei muttered, "A disgrace to all Demon Sorcerers!"

"Before her… expiration, she crafted twelve signs of extraordinary power, much like Shen Du's talismans. I know that one in particular will grant me the power to restore my body."

"How do we find them?" Jun asked.

"Long ago, Shuo Guang and I were once a single entity, one of light and dark, female and male, good and evil. As her twin, I am able to sense the Signs and use them to their full power in a way that no other could. But in this form, my power is greatly diminished. I can only focus on one at a time and I cannot determine which Sign it is from a distance. I will require you three to acquire these Signs for me until we find the one I need."

"Yes, master," the three demons said in unison.

"But how will we get to the human world, master? Your son banished you to this place," Wei Gong started saying.

"Silence! Do not dare mention my son to me! Test my patience once more Wei Gong, and I will send you right back to being the snivelling little scout you once were. Once I've reclaimed my body, I will finish what I started years ago. But before I put an end to his existence, I will make him watch as I plunder and burn the world he loves so much," the shadow declared.

"Haha, I'm loving the sound of this already!" Hou Yi grinned. "But how will we get to the human world?"

"I may have lost much of my power being in this form, but I still retain some of them. No matter what, there is darkness everywhere. Where there exists a shadow, I will be able to open a path from here to it. Even the tiniest shadow will be sufficient. Wei, you will remain here. I do not want to attract… unwanted attention, at least not yet. The last thing I want is for my son and his friends," the shadow sneered, "to become aware of my plans. Remember the powers I bestowed upon you all: fire, wind and earth," he said, looking at the twin hounds, Hou Yi and Wei Gong in succession. "Jun, are you sure you do not want a shadow element?"

"I appreciate the offer, my lord," Jun said with a noble bow, "but my sword is my power. A true swordsman need not rely on powers stolen from another."

"Very well, Jun, but I'm sure you will change your mind. When offered a chance to embrace the darkness, they always come around eventually. Hou Yi, as my scout commander, you will be the first to go. Bring me the Signs and do not fail me," he warned maliciously.

"Yes sir!" she bowed.

"Already I can feel the presence of one… no, three! How convenient that three would be together in one place? One of them must be the one I seek! Go, Hou Yi, and bring me my Signs! Hei Gou and An Gou will accompany you. They are, after all, my eyes," the shadow declared. In front of them, a large shadowy portal formed. Hou Yi and the twin demon dogs jumped and it closed after them.

* * *

**Those of you that read Kingdom Shadows, the AU spin-off of this story, may remember the mention of two demons, Hou Yi and Jun Bing. Well, they weren't exclusively for that story, not one bit! Followers on deviantart can expect images of the Shadow Legion some time within... maybe the next month. Depends how my work load goes. **

**Did you guys pick up on all my hints? I write in a very specific way that if you're smart and read carefully, you'll get them ;)**


	2. The Archer

**Ok, so I just wanted to give a little maturity warning because this chapter has some... suggestive themes... It's nothing too bad (at least not to me, but I have no idea how young or innocent some of you are). You have been warned. **

**Character pictures will come soon, promise!**

* * *

In the shadow cast by a large oak tree in the middle of the park emerged a tall, hooded archer with bright red eyes and two demonic, six legged hounds. "Ugh, it is so bright and… cheerful here. It sickens me," Hou Yi muttered in disgust. "Mutt, what are you doing?" she shouted at An Gou, who simply cocked her head to the side. "You're the tracker! Find those Signs!" An Gou quickly jumped up and began scurrying around the park, sniffing the ground and air for the scent of nearby magic. Her head suddenly perked up and she excitedly dashed off, disappearing in an instant. "Accursed mutt, how am I supposed to keep up with her? You," she turned to Hei Gou, "You can at least track your twin, yes?" Hei Gou barked in response before trotting after An Gou, albeit far slower, as Hou Yi followed. "At least one of you two is useful."

* * *

"Ah, summer feels so good! I've been waiting for this all year!" Mavis exclaimed as she and her friends strolled down the streets of Los Angeles.

"Define 'all year'," Tim asked.

"Since the end of last summer," Mavis answered.

"Right," Liam laughed.

"The only problem is now I'm bored! Yeah school was boring but at least it was something to do during the day. Now, well there's nothing to do. And there hasn't been any demon activity since the end of spring!" Mavis complained.

"Honestly, I'd rather be bored than face another demon takeover," Mala admitted.

"At least we'll have something to do once Arran opens his restaurant!" Remy added.

"Yeah, he did offer us jobs after all," said Drago.

"I still can't believe Kuang never told us he had a son!" Liam cried.

"Well, we never did actually ask him much about his personal life…" Mala reasoned.

"That's true, I suppose," Liam said.

"Oh, speaking of family, the big Callahan family reunion is coming up next month in Ireland and you're all officially invited!" Mavis declared.

"Really? You want us at your family reunion? I mean… we're not exactly 'normal' friends," Liam said.

"Relax, there's plenty of room! It's gonna be at my uncle Seamus' old family castle so there's more than enough room for you guys! Oh, and this should go without saying, but no funny business you two!" Mavis exclaimed, pointing at Mala and Drago.

"Funny business?" Drago cried.

"What are you talking about?" Mala asked, confused.

"Oh, don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about. I got a text from Liam last month with a picture of a sock on Drago's doorknob entitled 'What does this mean?'" Mavis explained, pulling out her phone to show them the message.

"Oh my god!" Mala cried, her cheeks burning red.

"Wha? You were home?" Drago shouted.

"We both were actually," Remy added.

"Oh my god…" Mala muttered again, covering her face with her hands.

"All we heard was some giggling, I swear! I kinda put up a sound barrier before it got any further," Liam explained.

"I have never been more embarrassed in my entire life!" Mala wailed.

"There, there, it's all right," Mavis said, patting her back. "So how was he?"

"MAVIS!" Mala shrieked.

"What? Girls are supposed to tell each other these things!"

"I am not having this conversation with you!" Mala shouted. Grabbing the sleeve of Drago's jacket, she stormed off with her boyfriend in tow.

"Hey, this time put the sock on the apartment door, not just your bedroom door!" Liam teased as they disappeared around the corner.

"You two are just terrible," Tim shook his head in disappointment.

"What? We're just teasing!" Mavis exclaimed, trying to defend herself.

"Yeah, I don't think they appreciated it," Remy added.

"Oh they'll be fine. I'm honestly surprised it didn't happen sooner, with the chemistry those two have," Mavis grinned.

"Maybe we should just give them some space and apologize later," Liam suggested.

"And just some advice for the future, it's considered very offensive and inappropriate to talk about someone's sexual activity while they're in the room," Tim said.

"Noted. So, what are the plans for today?" Just as Liam finished his question, he felt something strike him from behind and send him falling face first into the pavement. "Ow… what was that?" he groaned as his friends helped him up. His head shot up when he heard a familiar bark, one that he hadn't heard for a long time.

"…What… is that?" Mavis asked as the four of them stared at the dark brown, red-eyed demonic hound in front of them.

"…A-An?" Liam whispered in disbelief.

The hound barked happily before jumping up to him, knocking him back to the ground and licking his face affectionately.

"Uh, Liam you want to fill us in?" Tim asked.

"T-this is An Gou," he started, still overcoming the shock and surprise. "She… she was my only friend back in the Demon Netherworld. But if she's here, then that means…" Just as Liam turned around, he saw a similar, though bulkier, looking demon hound running up to him. "Get back!" he shouted, pushing the others behind him. The hound leapt forward towards him with a roar while Liam held up his arm as the hound sunk its teeth into his arm. "Ah!" Liam cried in pain before letting out a loud shriek right into the hound's face that shattered nearby windows and knocked the hound back to the end of the block as it released its grip on Liam's arm. He quickly changed into his demon form, grabbed his three friends and shot up into the sky.

"What the hell was that?" Mavis shouted.

"That's Hei Gou, An's twin. The only problem is that he's not as nice as she is!" Linos answered.

"That still doesn't explain what they're even doing here!" Tim cried.

"You two remember those shoulder pads my dad had, the ones that looked like demonic heads?" Linos asked.

"Yeah," Tim and Mavis replied in unison.

"Well, that's them! Ahhh!" Linos cried out in pain again as his flying suddenly faltered.

"You're hit!" Remy cried, seeing a pitch black arrow shot right through his wing.

"I'm fine!" Linos assured them. He flapped his unharmed wing harder to compensate, but strangely, they didn't move at all. They just sat there in place as Linos tried to move forward.

"What's happening?" Mavis cried.

"Why aren't we going anywhere?" Tim asked.

"It's not me… It's the wind!" Linos realized. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew right towards him, sending them straight to the ground and crashing into a dirty alley.

"Linos, you ok?" Mavis asked, helping him up.

"Yeah, yeah I'm-OW!" Linos yelped in pain as Remy ripped the arrow out of his wing. "A little warning next time?"

"It's better without the warning, otherwise you tense up!" Remy argued.

"Let me see that," Linos said, as Remy handed him the arrow. "Shit…" he muttered, examining the arrow tip.

"What is it?" Tim asked.

Upon hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, the four turned their attention to one end of the alley. A dark, cloaked figure with bright red eyes and a large bow stepped into view and grinned maliciously. "Well, this is a surprise. I send the mutt off to find a Sign and instead she leads me to you. Perhaps An Gou is not as useless as she seems. The master will reward me for bringing you his head!" she declared, drawing her bow.

"Run… RUN!" Linos shouted, quickly changing back to his human form and pushing the others ahead of him.

"Who the hell is that?" Mavis shouted.

"A demon!" Remy answered.

"Obviously, but that's not what I meant!" Mavis bit back.

"Her name is Hou Yi and she's one of the Demon Commanders of my dad's army!" Liam answered.

"Your dad had an army?" Tim cried, surprised.

"All Demon Sorcerers do! He called his the Shadow Legion!"

"He can't call them that! We've already got 'shadow' in our name! It's conflicting!" Mavis yelled.

"Technically he called them that before any of us ever met! But that's not the point! Call Mala and Drago. They need to know about this!" Liam shouted. As they were running, he brought up several shadow tendrils, catching or otherwise stopping Hou Yi's arrows from striking them.

"It's ringing!" Mavis cried, calling Mala. "Hey! Mala, we've got a problem! Ok, no not about that, there's a demon that's shooting at us-HEY!" Mavis shouted as her phone was shot out of her hand and into a post by Hou Yi's black arrows. "That was my phone!"

"Not the time Mavis!" Liam cried, pulling her around the corner as they continued running.

* * *

"Mavis? Mavis? Hello? It just cut off…" Mala said, curiously looking at her phone.

"What did she want? To poke more fun at us?" Drago asked.

"I'm sure that's not it. Mavis doesn't seem like that kind of person," Arran commented. After rushing off in embarrassment, Mala and Drago had retreated to Kuang's old shop, which was nearly completely emptied out and ready to start renovations.

"…Your dad obviously didn't tell you accurate information about Mavis," Drago said.

"So what did she want then?" Arran asked.

"Uh…, um, well, it's kinda hard to explain really. Uh, Drago and I can handle it though," Mala quickly formulated her response before grabbing Drago by the arm and pulling him out of the soon-to-be restaurant. Arran narrowed his eyes curiously at the pair as they left. His interest peeked, he exited the building, locking the door behind him before following after the couple, but from a safe enough distance so that they didn't notice him.

"So what was Mavis calling about?" Drago asked as they ran.

"Demon trouble," she answered.

"Already? Heaven forbid we get a week into summer vacation before demon trouble start up again!"

"Tell me about it! Let's get to the others right away!"

"Where do you suppose there are?" Drago asked.

All of a sudden, they heard a loud explosion in the distance as a stream of dark energy shot up into the sky. "I'm gonna guess over there," Mala pointed out. Mala kept flying them ahead until they reached the park. There, they saw Liam, Mavis, Tim and Remy pinned to trees with black, claw-like arrows. Running up to them, Mala cried, "What happened? Are you guys ok?"

"Look out!" Remy cried.

When Mala turned around, she saw three black arrows flying right towards her. She raised a crystal wall just in time to block them before spotting the dark, cloaked archer that fired them.

"Who is that?" Drago shouted.

"Long story!" Liam cried back.

"TLDR, she's a demon that's trying to kill us!" Mavis yelled.

"Heh, good enough for me!" Drago grinned, throwing two fireballs at their attacker. However, before they could hit her, a gust of wind blew them out. "What the?"

"Hm, son of Shen Du," the archer commented. "I didn't expect you. Though I must say, the hounds wield your father's Chi better than you do." As she finished her sentence, Hei and An appeared by her side and unleashed a spinning cyclone of black flames from their mouths at Drago.

"You think a little black fire is gonna scare me?" Drago waved his arms to disperse the flames, but nothing happened. "Huh?" Shocked that the fires didn't obey him, Drago was knocked back by the flames as Hou Yi took the chance to pin him to a tree.

"Drago!" Mala cried out in worry. However, with sharp speed, Hou Yi took advantage of Mala's distraction and pinned the last of them to a tree as well.

"Now, back to business. Where are they?" Hou Yi asked, approaching Liam.

"Where are what?" he snapped back.

"Do not play games with me, boy. I know you have them! It is no coincidence that the son of the Shadow Demon Sorcerer would be involved in this! You must have them!"

"I don't know what you're talking about Hou Yi! And Tzan Ren is dead! What is the Shadow Legion up to?"

"Ha, you think I would divulge our plans with a little traitor like you? Darkness never dies," she whispered, leaning in close to Liam. "You are a being of darkness Linos. Do you really think the humans will accept you when they know what you are? Where you come from? Face it, you will always be one with the darkness inside your heart. That, you can never run away from. Now, tell me where the Signs are!" she threatened, drawing her bow with the arrow pointed right at Liam's face.

"I don't know where they are! And even if I did, I'd never tell you!" Liam shouted.

"He doesn't have them."

"Huh? Who said that?" Hou Yi cried, sharply turning around to see a young man with long blonde hair standing opposite to her a few feet away. "Who are you?"

"Arran! What are you doing here?" Mala cried.

"Uh… this isn't what is looks like!" Mavis exclaimed.

"Oh this is gonna be a tough one to explain," Tim muttered.

"Arran, hm? Another one of your human friends, Linos? Well, I'll be sure to make you watch as I make an example of this human!" Hou Yi drew back on her bow and fired an arrow right towards Arran. As they cried out in worry and fear for him, Arran simply raised his hand towards the oncoming arrow as a golden barrier of light formed around him, disintegrating the arrow on impact.

"What?" Hou Yi cried in pure shock while the others all stared at Arran with wide eyes and dropped jaws.

"You were right when you said that darkness never dies, Hou Yi. Unfortunately for you, neither does light," Arran whispered. Suddenly, he was enveloped in a bright white light, forcing them all to shield their eyes as best they could from the sheer intensity of it. When the light finally dimmed, everyone gasped in shock to see Arran had transformed. He was draped in white, gold and light blue cloth and armor, with a large hood over his head. His skin turned white while his hair remained the same. But the most distinguished features were the glowing, golden wings of light coming from his back and his bright red eyes that were identical to a demon's.

_'…The Light-Bringer!'_ Mala thought instantly, recalling the prophecy her mother made before her death. The prophecy had stated that darkness would return to consume everything and that the only way they could stop it was with the help of the "Light-Bringer". _'That must be him!'_

"W-what are you?" Hou Yi grunted.

Arran said nothing as he raised his left hand out in front of him. A small ball of light formed just over his palm as a bow of light suddenly formed out from it. He drew back on the string, causing an immaculate golden arrow to form. He released his grip on the drawstring, sending the arrow right at Hou Yi.

"Heh, no matter!" she declared, waving her hand to summon a dark gust of wind to blow the arrow away. However, the arrow's light cut straight through the wind, unaffected by its influence and continued down its original path. "What?" she gasped. Paralyzed in fear, Hou Yi failed to move out of the way as the arrow struck her in the shoulder. She screamed in pain as the light energy of the arrow began to spread across her body. With shaking hands, she pulled the arrow out and it disappeared. "F-fall back!" she ordered, gripping her shoulder. Followed by Hei and An, Hou Yi disappeared into the large shadow cast by a tree. Once she was gone, the arrows she had used to pin everyone disappeared, freeing them.

"Wha… how?" Mavis said, not knowing where to begin and having trouble getting her words together.

"Please," Arran said, holding his hand to silence them, "I know you all have many questions and I will answer them. But not here."

* * *

"Oh, back so soon?" Wei teased, noticing Hou Yi's return.

"Stuff it Wei!" Hou shouted, still gripping her shoulder.

"Were you successful?" Jun asked.

"What do you think?"

"I think the master will not like this…" Jun muttered.

"And what is it that I will not like?" the shadow asked, suddenly appearing before the three Commanders. "Hou Yi, where are the Signs?"

"M-master, I've failed you!" she whimpered, fearful of the punishment she knew she'd receive. "B-but it's not my fault, I swear!"

"Oh? And what exactly caused my best ranger to fail in her mission?" the shadow bellowed.

"L-Linos, he was there!"

"What?"

"It's true, master! But that wasn't the only thing. They…they had a light demon!"

"A light demon?" the shadow asked, confused.

"There are no more light demons, Hou Yi. Master saw to that when he killed Shuo Guang!" Wei interjected.

"I know what I saw!" she barked. "It was a light demon a-and he had the same powers as her, as your sister!"

"If you are lying…" the shadow began.

"I am not, I swear! Look at this," she said, gesturing to her injured and scorched shoulder, "only light could do this to a shadow demon!"

"This complicates things," Jun noted. "What shall we do now master?"

"This does not change our plans. Focus on the Signs! Once my body is restored, I can destroy this light demon myself!"

* * *

**So, those of you who had Arran pegged as "The Archer/Light-Bringer" can pat yourselves on the back because you were right! I'm kinda amazed all it took was that one little mention of him to have the majority of you suspect him so quickly. I'm surprised some people chose female characters on the poll on my deviantart page. I mean, Lang Yan specifically refers to the Archer as male... so yeah**

**But, come next chapter there will be some information coming your way as well as a revelation... but I'm sure if you're smart you can figure it out ;)**


	3. Light and Dark

**Ok, got so engrossed in school work that I kinda forgot about writing XD That, and I am working on a new cosplay project. But since I got a lot of writing done for one of my papers, I figured I could wrap this chapter up!**

**Oh and pop on over to my deviantart to catch a glimpse of Arran's appearance, human and demon! Shadow Legion coming soon!**

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"Ok," Arran started, locking the door of his renovated store behind him and closing the blinds to ensure privacy during their discussion, "Who has the first question?"

"Uh… what the hell? Like seriously, what the hell was that?" Mavis exclaimed.

"Elegantly put, Mavis," Tim commented.

"Yeah, I'm with Mavis on this one," Mala added as the other affirmed their own agreement.

"Hm, I think it would be better if I started from the beginning," Arran said.

"Yes, that would probably be best," Tim commented.

"All right then," he thought for a moment on where to start his explanation from. "Well, you all know Tzan Ren, am I right?"

"Yeah," everyone nodded.

"He's my father," Liam said.

"Huh… wouldn't have guessed at first glance. I mean, you look so much more like Hsian Ji," Arran noted.

"You know my mother?" Liam asked.

"No, no, I just knew of her, that's all. Anyway, a long time ago when time began, there was a powerful being in existence. It represented duality in nature: dark and light, man and woman, evil and good, yin and yang."

"How come I've never heard of this before?" Liam asked.

"It's never come up in any of my father's book before either," Mala added.

"I'm not surprised, this being existed ages ago, long before life appeared on Earth," Arran explained.

"What happened to it?" Remy asked.

"No one's really sure what exactly caused it, but the being split into two: a female spirit of light and goodness and a male spirit of shadows and evil," Arran explained as he motioned the splitting with his hands.

"Tzan Ren," Liam muttered bitterly.

"Precisely. The other spirit was called Shuo Guang, better known as the Light Demon Sorceress and Tzan Ren's twin sister."

"Tzan Ren had a twin sister?" Tim cried in surprise.

"There's a Light Demon Sorceress?" Drago cried next.

"I-I have an aunt?" Liam gasped with wide eyes in shock.

"I'm not surprised he never mentioned her. Shuo Guang was Tzan Ren's opposite in every way and he hated her for it. At first, he just tolerated her existence while she became a pariah among the other Demon Sorcerers for her open affection for all life and, well, being nice. Traits that, as you know, are not tolerated by most Demon Sorcerers. Eventually, toleration wasn't enough, so Tzan Ren destroyed her himself."

"But what does the Light Demon Sorceress have to do with this?" Mala asked.

"Shuo Guang… was also my mother," Arran said.

"Your mother?" they all cried in unison.

"Wait, wait, if your mother and my father are twins, then…" Liam thought out loud, connecting the dots in his head.

"That would make use cousins, wouldn't it?" Arran smiled.

"Th-this is a lot to take in…" Liam exhaled.

"So, if the Light Demon Sorceress was your mother and Kuang is your father, then you'd be a half-demon, right?" Mala asked.

"That's right, just like the two of you," he said to her and Drago.

"Ok, great backstory and all, but next question: what exactly are the Signs?" Mavis asked.

"Yeah, Hou Yi wouldn't stop asking us about them," Tim added.

"Well, think of them like Shen Du's talismans of the Chinese zodiac. The Signs are twelve sigils of power created by my mother and each has its own emblem of the Greek zodiac."

"The Greeks have a zodiac?" Mavis asked.

"You know the horoscopes you see in newspapers?" Tim asked her.

"Yeah," she answered.

"It's like those! Aquarius, Cancer, Scorpio," Remy said next.

"Oh! Oh, I know what you're talking about now! Got it! Please continue," Mavis smiled.

"Well, my mother left them to me before she died and up until a couple months ago, I had them all safe and sound."

"What happened?" Drago asked.

"A couple Demon Sorcerers must have gotten loose. They attacked me trying to steal the Signs."

"Demon Sorcerers? It's gotta be the same ones we beat!" Mala exclaimed.

"The very same, I'd wager. Either way, I was outnumbered and outmatched. I didn't have any other choice but to scatter the Signs all across the world. Now, I've got to find them and get them all back before they fall into the wrong hands," Arran said.

"Like the Shadow Legion," Liam added.

"But what would those name stealers want with them?" Mavis asked.

"Honestly, I don't know," Arran admitted, shaking his head. "But whatever it is, it can't be good. Can you think of a reason why your father would want them?"

"My father? What makes you think he's behind this?" Liam asked.

"Well, the Shadow Legion is his personal demon army, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but it can't be Tzan Ren! I mean, my mom killed him already!" Mala argued.

"How exactly did she kill him?" Arran asked.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh! I can answer this one! She crystallized him and smashed his body to bits!" Mavis grinned, punching the air in front of her in an effort to mimic the event.

"Crystallized? Is there any way he could have broken free?" Arran asked.

"No, and there's no way to ask since she's dead too," Mala said sadly.

"I see…"

"What is it?" Liam asked, noticing the inquisitive look on Arran's face.

"Well, when a Demon Sorcerer dies, any spell they've cast is automatically undone," he explained.

"But, that wouldn't make a difference, would it? His body would still be in piece," Tim said.

"Demon Sorcerers are curious creatures, Tim. Just because their physical body expires, doesn't mean they truly die."

"Wait, wait, you mean to tell me they can turn into ghosts?" Mavis cried.

"Well, ghosts isn't the official term for it. We call them astral forms: sort of like their incorporeal form of their spirits or souls. A Demon Sorcerer can continue to survive in their astral form even when their physical body is destroyed."

Everyone turned to Mala when they heard her gasp loudly. "I-I didn't bring this up earlier because I wasn't sure of what to make of it, but you guys remember when I got separated from you in the Arctic when we were going to rescue Liam from Dong Xin?" Everyone nodded. "Well, I saw something when I was by myself."

"What was it?" Remy asked.

"It was a wolf," Mala answered.

"Well, that's not exactly uncommon in the Arctic," Tim noted, pushing his glasses up to rest on the top of his nose.

"No, no, it wasn't just a normal wolf! It's eyes were completely red like ours when we're in our demon forms and it was wearing my mother's necklace, the one my dad used to banish her and that he later gave to me!"

"That very well could have been your mother's astral form. But, without a physical body, her ability to interact with you would be greatly limited."

"Hang on, if Mala's mom is still around as a ghost, then why isn't your mom?" Mavis asked Arran. "Or yours?" she asked next to Liam.

"Honestly, I don't know," Liam replied. "I always thought she'd still be around in her astral form, maybe even try to find me but… every time I've tried to sense her presence, I get nothing."

"Perhaps something is preventing Hsian Ji from materializing… As for my mother, Tzan Ren didn't just kill her; he obliterated her, astral form and all," Arran said.

"B-but to destroy an astral form, how is that even possible?" Mala asked.

"Normally, it's not. But light and dark share a special relationship with each other."

"What do you mean?" Remy asked.

"Well, light and dark were once a single entity, until they split into Tzan Ren and Shuo Guang. Light and dark are both strong and weak against each other…"

"Oh, like ghost and dragon-types in Pokemon!" Mavis interrupted. When all she got as an awkward silence, Mavis continued speaking, "You know, cuz ghost and dragon-type Pokemon are super-effective against themselves? You guys all need to play more video games. Mental note:" Mavis began muttering to herself as she took out a black marker, "organize video game marathon," she said out loud as she wrote the same words on her arm.

"Why did you write that on your arm?" Drago asked.

"Well, where else am I going to write it?"

"…You know that's a permanent marker, right?" Tim asked, pointing to the marker label.

"Crap…" she muttered."

"Um, as I was saying, I suppose it's a little like that…Pokemon thing you mentioned. Light is strong against dark, but dark is equally strong against light. But the only way to completely destroy light or dark is to use the most purified form of that element. Pure light will completely eradicate pure darkness, but it works both ways: pure darkness can also completely wipe out pure light. That is how Tzan Ren destroyed my mother."

"So… my father really is back, isn't he? When Lang Yan died, her spell broke and his astral form must have been freed from the crystals. I guess I just didn't want to believe he could ever come back…" Liam muttered.

"But it appears he is. The big question is: what is he after?" Arran asked as he lay a consoling hand on Liam's shoulder.

"Well, you said a Demon Sorcerer's powers are limited in astral form, right? Maybe he's trying to find a way to get his body back," Drago suggested.

"Is that even possible?" Tim asked.

"It is! Daolon Wong performed some kind of dark magic spell a few years ago that reconstructed my father's body perfectly after the Chan's destroyed him as a statue," he explained.

"But what does that have to do with the Signs?" Mala asked.

"Well, each Sign has their own power, but I believe I know which one Tzan Ren may be seeking. Virgo: the power of Recovery. It has the power to heal injuries and, perhaps in Tzan Ren's hands restore his lost body. Normally, Virgo wouldn't be able to restore something like an entire body, but when used by someone directly related to their original creator, the Signs are capable of so much more. Unfortunately, when those Demon Sorcerers you defeated attacked me before, I was forced to scatter them entirely."

"How?" Mavis asked.

"Like this," Arran answered, waving his hand and opening a portal of light in front of him.

"Whoa!" they all exclaimed.

"It's one of my more… unique abilities. I can open a portal leading to wherever I desire."

"Then why not just open portals to where you sent the Signs?" Liam asked.

"That's the problem. When I scattered them, I sent each one through its own portal. The more portals I open at once, the less control I have over where they lead. I won't know where each portal goes until I go through it myself. But when I meditate, I'm able to focus in on the magical signature of one of the Signs, but only one at a time unfortunately. So far, I've only managed to track three down on my own: Capricorn, Sagittarius and Libra." Arran walked behind the counter as he spoke and held his hand over the countertop, causing three Signs to appear on the table with the emblems of a brown sea-goat, light blue centaur archer and light yellow scales.

"Wow…" they all said in awe.

"Oh, I guess this means that this," Mavis said, fumbling around in her bag before pulling out the Sign they got from Dong Xin, "belongs to you!"

"Oh, Pisces! Wonderful, thank you so much!" Arran said happily as he received the Sign from Mavis. "That just leaves eight!"

"We figured out what Pisces does already, but what do these three do?" Mala asked curiously.

"Well, Sagittarius should be rather obvious: Arrow Beams. Its power lets me create as many light arrows and fire as many light beams as I want. I can still fire light arrows normally by myself, but this allows me to fire many, many more."

"Cooool," Mavis grinned with wide eyes.

"As for the other two, Capricorn's power is Luck while Libra is Imbalance Detection."

"Luck, huh?" Remy asked.

"Yes, its a very curious power. When in possession of it, the user will, well, find themselves bestowed with amazing luck!"

"And how does Libra work exactly?" Tim asked.

"Well, it allows me to know if someone is off balance, like if they're lying or if something is out of alignment with them. It also allows me to detect if there's just something off with the general atmosphere or area."

"Ohhh, so it's like a 'there's a disturbance in the force' detector," Mavis said.

"Yes, exactly like that!" Arran exclaimed.

"Oh, finally! Someone who gets my references! I'm liking you more and more, Arran!" she smiled widely. "So, you need any help finding these other Signs?"

"Oh, no you guys don't have to help, really. I wouldn't want to impose."

"It's no imposition! Besides, you'd be surprised at the experience we have in hunting down small magical objects with cool powers and fighting bad guys at the same time," Mala said smugly.

"And besides, with the Shadow Legion after them too, you'll need all the help you can get!" Remy added.

"Plus," Liam said, walking up to Arran and holding out his hand, "we're family."

"Heh, I appreciate that, cousin," Arran smiled, shaking Liam's hand.

* * *

"Master, please! Let me go back there! I swear I will acquire the Signs for you!" Hou Yi pleaded.

"You have already failed my once, Hou Yi!" the shadow bellowed angrily. "I specifically ordered you to keep my son unaware of our plans. And now he and his friends are completely aware of us!"

"Please, master, just give me another chance!" Hou pleaded once more.

"SILENCE! Interrupt me once more, and I will rip out that tongue of yours!" the shadow glared, intimidating Hou Yi into silence. The shadow then turned to Jun and spoke, "Jun, I trust that you will not fail me."

"I shall endeavour to serve you as best as I can, master," he said with a bow.

"Good. I have already sensed the presence of another Sign and because of Hou Yi's blunder, my son and his friends will likely pursue it as well," the shadow said bitterly, sending a vicious glare to Hou Yi. "Your mission is to acquire the Sign at all costs. But, do not kill my son or his friends. Leave them to me."

"And what of the light demon?" Jun asked.

"First confirm that Hou Yi saw what she claims she saw. If there is indeed a light demon aiding them, capture him and bring him to me. I would certainly like to know how a single light demon escaped death."

"Yes, master," Jun bowed once more. He reached behind his back to draw his treasured sword, a dark blue blade with tiny silver stars. If one were to look at it completely still, they could just notice the stars moving ever so slightly. But this was no ordinary blade; it was Jun's most treasured and only possession. A blade that defeated one thousand opponents, a blade that broke one thousand stars: Qian Xing Po. _'At last, I will find a worthy opponent!'_

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**And... Linos has more family! Family that isn't actively trying to kill him! Yay!**

**Now in case you haven't figured it out, this arc will be a bit like arc 1 in the whole (finding x number of things before the bad guys do). So, since D-Sniper and I can only come up with so many scenarios, I'd love some ideas or suggestions of scenarios for Signs! And with Arran's portal abilities, that opens up the door for us, so it all doesn't have to be exclusively in Los Angeles ;)**


	4. Girl Talk

**I finally got into the mood to write for City Shadows. I don't know what it was, but I just couldn't get into the mood. I think the problem was we couldn't decide which Sign to start with. You see, with Coins, we decided the order they would appear and then made up the scenarios, but this time, we made the scenarios and then put them in order. But hopefully, I'll be able to keep going after this.**

**ALSO! This chapter contains some language not suitable for children. That's right, big kids and up only! So, be warned!**

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"All right, I'm here, Mavis!" Mala called, bursting into the Callahan household. She moved into the kitchen where she saw Mavis leaning on the counter, facing her. "Uh, where are the raspberry tarts you said we were gonna have?" she asked, pointing at the counter where she had expected a bakery box to be sitting while she eyed her friend suspiciously.

"Yeah, the thing is, I kinda maybe sorta fibbed about the reason I needed you to come over today," Mavis casually trailed off as her shoulders tensely rose with each word along with the pitch of her voice.

"So, you lured me here with false promises of fruity bakery tarts? Oh, Mavis, that hurts me so!"

"Don't be ridiculous! When Mavis Callahan makes a food promise, she keeps that food promise… with the food she promised!" Mavis smiled, pulling out a white bakery box from beneath the counter. The minute Mala laid eyes on the box, she grabbed it from Mavis' hands, tore the box open and began digging into one of the raspberry tarts inside.

"Mmmmm," Mala hummed contently, "I knew you wouldn't let me down Mavis. I had complete faith in you!"

"Complete faith, huh?"

"Complete," Mala assured her with a nod. As she spoke, bits of crumbs fell from Mala's mouth and onto the counter.

Mavis quickly whipped out her phone and snapped a quick picture of Mala. "Oh yeah, that's a very flattering pic. I'll save that one for later!"

"Ha ha," Mala laughed sarcastically, "But while you were busy photographing me, I'm already on the second tart!"

"WHAT? No fair! You have to leave me some!" Mavis yelled, lunging for the box.

"God, these are so delicious," Mala sighed.

"Mmm, I know right? I think it's crazy that they only make these during the summer. These should seriously be a year long product!"

"Maybe you should write them a letter," Mala suggested.

"Every month for the past three years," Mavis smiled.

"Wow, that's some serious dedication."

"Hey, when it involves food, I'm nothing by serious, especially when stupid franchises decide to make certain foods only available at certain times!"

"Like fast food breakfast?"

"Like fast food breakfast! Seriously, some of these suckers don't get that people wake up at different times! When I sleep in till noon on Saturdays, the first thing I eat is breakfast, not lunch, not brunch, breakfast! Why must my desire for breakfast sandwiches go unfulfilled!"

"Yeah, I won't lie, sometimes in the evening I'll just be craving one of those breakfast sandwiches, but I can never get one!"

"Our lives truly are a struggle, Reid," Mavis mumbled with her mouth full of fruit tart.

"You mean beyond fighting demons and stopping the forces of evil?" Mala asked.

"Yeah, that!"

"What are you guys talking about?" Mavis shrieked loudly and flinched, sending bits of crumbs flying onto Mala.

"Mavis!" Mala cried, brushing the crumbs off her shoulders and running her fingers through her hair to check for any more crumbs.

"Sean! What did I tell you about sneaking up on me like that! You know I have the nerves of an easily startled cat!" Mavis cried, marching up to her younger brother, who stood in the doorway of the kitchen.

"Or you could just say that you're easily startled," he pointed out

"I like my way of saying it better!" Mavis insisted with a proud pout.

Sean ignored his sister and instead walked into the kitchen and up to Mala. "Hi, Mala," he said bashfully, standing on one foot while rocking his other foot back and forth while his toes were still on the floor.

"Hi, Sean," Mala greeted with a polite smile. "So what's a little genius like you up to for today?"

"Hopefully butting out of my business!" Mavis cried loudly.

From his seat at the counter, Sean leaned over and stuck his tongue out at Mavis before returning his attention to Mala. "Well, I'm taking an advanced chemistry workshop this summer. If I pass, they'll let me start high school early!"

"Wow! That sounds cool!"

"I'm working on a project right now actually. D-do you wanna see it?" he asked timidly as a very noticeable blush formed on his cheeks.

"I'd love to!" Mala smiled.

"But, Mala, I need to talk to you about-" Mavis started.

"It'll only take a second, Mavis, I promise," Mala swore as Sean excitedly took her by the hand and led her upstairs to his room. Five minutes later, Mala returned to the kitchen. "Mavis, your brother is so adorable! Makes me kinda wish I had a younger siblings of my own."

"Eh, they're not that great, just ask Collin and Finn. I bet those two will have loads of stories to tell you about how horrible of a younger siblings I was… am," she laughed.

"You mean something worse than chronically stealing their money and wearing them out with your… strong personality?"

"Well, let's just say that there's a reason we're not allowed to have water guns in the house anymore. You know Sean's got a huge crush on you right?"

"What? No…" Mala insisted.

"Nah, it's true. He asks about you all the time and I found a sketch of you he did in his notebook. But onto today's business!" Mavis declared as Mala absentmindedly shrugged her shoulders.

"Right, the so-called 'real reason' you wanted just me here," Mala said, sitting on the opposite side of the counter to Mavis.

"How do I…" Mavis started, trying to find the words. "Ok, I've never been the kind of person to be actively preoccupied with this sort of thing but... Oh gosh, how do I say this?"

"Uh, Mavis?" Mala asked, beginning to worry.

"How do I get a boy's attention?" she blurted out. Mala stared at her friend silently, which only made Mavis all the more nervous. "Well? Say something!"

"That's what this is about? You want my advice on boys?" Mala asked in disbelief.

"Oh its stupid, just forget I said anything!" Mavis cried, trying to brush it off.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hang on!" Mala called, grabbing Mavis' wrist to keep her from leaving. "What brought this on?"

"Ok, well you see, there's this boy I like…"

"Yeah, I gathered that much," Mala chuckled.

"And I'm not really sure how to get his attention."

"And you think I can help you with that?"

"Well you are my only female friend AND you have a boyfriend! As far as I'm concerned that makes you and expert!"

"Mavis, I've only ever been with Drago."

"'Been with' is right. Bow chicka wow wow!"

"MAVIS!" Mala shrieked.

"Sorry…"

"As I was saying, I've only ever been with Drago and the way we got together isn't exactly what you would call normal."

"Well, then run me through that! Its better than all the other information I have to go by. All those gushy teen magazines have no helpful information!"

"Ok then, I guess where it starts with me and Drago is how much history we have. I mean, we've known each other since we were kids and at the time, we were the only half-demon kids we knew. It made bonding with each other easy. Nobody else could understand me the way he could and vice versa."

"History… got it!" Mavis said, writing down notes on a notepad.

"Wow, you're actually taking notes for this," Mala said in amazement. "Wait, where did you get that notepad?"

"That's for me to know and you to…not know? Nevermind that, just continue please!"

"Ok well, I didn't see Drago for a long time after that, at least not until last year. And if you don't mind, I'd prefer to skip over the whole 'tricking me into helping him take over the world' bit."

"That's fair," Mavis agreed.

"Even with everything that happened between us in San Francisco, as hurt as I was, part of me still loved him. We had this connection that spanned nearly our entire lives and I just never felt that way about anyone else. As for getting Drago's attention, well, that was pretty easy. He's not like this very much now, but back then he was a pretty forceful, tough guy. If I wanted something from him, I just went right up to him and told him I wanted it. Guys that are into power usually respond to powerful women."

"Hm, ok, but what if the guy I'm into isn't into power?"

"Hmm," Mala thought for a moment, "then I guess you just have to figure out his interests and build some common ground between the two of you. Mavis, I really don't think I'll be of much help to you. I've only had the one experience."

"And I bet the two of you had that experience multiple times over. Oh!" Mavis exclaimed while Mala simply blinked at her emotionlessly. "Eh?" Mavis asked, holding her hand up to Mala for her to high five, "Don't leave me hangin'."

"Ok, I'm leaving," she declared.

"No, no, no! Wait, I'm sorry. But can you blame me? My best friends gets her V card stamped and she won't tell me a single detail! Besides, I can't help but be… curious about how it gets done between demons," Mavis said hesitantly, trying her best to make that sound the least awkward as possible. "Come on, indulge your crazy friend?"

Mala sighed, knowing that her friend would not stop with the incessant line of questioning. If there's one thing Mala learned about handling Mavis, it was to just give her what she wanted. "All right fine, you really wanna know?" she asked as Mavis energetically nodded her head, eagerly awaiting the answer. "It was the single most amazing experience of my life," she sighed happily.

"Sweeeet, so spill it! Tell me everything!" Mavis squealed.

"Whoa whoa, slow down. I didn't come over here to tell you about my sex life. You called me here for boy advice, remember? So you spill it! Who's the lucky guy?" she asked. _'Like I even need to ask,'_ Mala thought to herself. She knew exactly who is was Mavis was attempting to woo.

"Oh that's… not important. Just leave that part out for now," she replied meekly. However, Mala noticed this quick and sudden drop in her friend's tone of voice.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Well, it's just, I'm not like most girls. I'm not nearly as pretty as you are!"

"That's not true!" Mala quickly protested.

"Oh yes it is, Mala! You're one of the hottest girls in school and to be honest, if I was a guy, I'd wanna get with you!"

"…Thank you?" Mala asked, unsure of how to take that remark.

"But the point is, I'm not one of those girls who can just flip her hair or bat her eyelashes to get any guy she wants."

"But you have a great personality!"

"Oh please! That's what they say about all the plain Janes! 'She's not as hot as so and so, but she's got a great personality,'" Mavis said, lowering the tone of her voice to imitate a boy's.

"I'm serious Mavis. Your personality is the greatest thing about you. I can say for certain that I have never met nor will I ever meet someone as amazing and as eccentric as you! You're one of a kind!"

"Aw, thanks, Mala. That really means a lot coming from a half-crystal demon," Mavis smiled. "Come on, let's go meet up with the guys! I heard they were checking out Tim's new car!" The girls left Mavis' house and made their way over to Tim's, where they saw the four boys crowded around Tim's new car, a slim, sleek silver convertible.

"Ooooh sweet! That's one hot ride!" Mavis exclaimed, admiring the car. "Let's pop the hood down and take her for a spin!"

"No way! I wanna preserve that new car smell!" Tim insisted.

"You mean the new car smell of plastic and artificially scented pine trees? Lighten up, Tim. Keys please," she asked, holding out her hand.

"Nuh uh! Give the girl who flunked her road test three times in a row the keys to my brand new car? I don't think so. I'm the only one who'll be driving this car!"

"Wouldn't have failed if it weren't for that stupid squirrel," she mumbled under her breath. "Every time, it's there and it screws me up! It's got a vendetta against me, I tell ya!"

"Yeah yeah, get in the car, squirrel girl. I got a text from Arran just before you two got here. He wants to see as right away," said Liam.

"Shotgun!" Mavis shouted, hopping into the passenger seat. As the drove, Mavis wasted no time to press the button that took down the top of the car, at which point Tim starting yelling at her, only to have no choice but to redirect his attention to the road.

When they pulled up to Arran's soon-to-be restaurant, Tim parked the car and they all started heading in. Mala, however, pulled Drago back as the others went inside. "What is it?" he asked.

"I have huge news!" Mala said excitedly.

"Oh my god, you're pregnant!" Drago cried, only to have Mala swiftly punch him in the shoulder. "Ow!"

"No, I am not pregnant! Why would you think that?"

"Hey, it's a logical conclusion!" he argued.

"I am not pregnant," she assured him.

"You're sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure! I think I would know if I was pregnant! But that's not the point!" Mala cried, trying to get back to her main point. "What I was trying to say was, Mavis asked me for advice about boys!"

"So?"

"So, that means she's into someone!"

"Who?"

"Who do you think?"

"…" Drago simply stared at her with a blank expression.

"Oh good lord, it's a wonder why it took so long for us to get together. Ok, who in our group is Mavis most likely to have a crush on?"

"Uh…"

"Liam!"

"Liam? What makes you so certain?"

"Because it's so obvious! Women have a sixth sense for this sort of thing," Mala said proudly. "And I know for a fact that he's into her too!"

"How do you know that?"

"Because he told me so just after I became friends with them. Oh, they would make such a cute couple! You know what we have to do right?" she asked him.

"Get them together?"

"We so have to get them together!" Drago smiled as he watched his girlfriend jumping up and down, giggling excitedly.

"Right, well maybe you can devise a romantic scheme when we're not trying to save the world from Liam's crazy dad and his army of shadow demons," Drago said, dragging Mala inside Arran's building behind him.

"Glad you all made it," Arran greeted.

"So did you find another Sign?" Liam asked.

"Yes. It took some time but I was finally able to tap into the magical signature of one of them. Hopefully, I'll be able to track down the rest before Tzan Ren does."

"So, which one is it and where is it located?" asked Remy.

"At this point, I can't be certain which Sign it is until I get to it. As for where we're going, Spain," he answered.

"Yes! Spain! Cross that off my bucket list!" Mavis exclaimed with a fist pump.

"You're seventeen and you already have a bucket list?" Mala asked.

"Hey, we lead dangerous lives," Mavis pointed out.

"That's actually a good point," Liam added.

"See? He gets me! So what are we waiting for? We're wasting time!"

"You're right," Arran said, "The sooner we find the Sign, the better. We can't allow even a single Sign to fall into Tzan Ren's hands." Arran closed the blinds and locked the entrance to the building before holding out his hand in front of him. A large circle of light suddenly appeared in front of him as he turned back to address the group. "I'll be able to instantaneously transport us wherever we need to go."

"But I thought you couldn't control where your portals led," Drago cried.

"That was only when I had multiple ones open at the same time. With one portal, I have complete control on where it goes." With that, Arran stepped into the portal, disappearing into the light as the rest of them slowly followed. When they came out on the other side, they were in a small alleyway under a dark sky.

"Hey, how come its dark all of a sudden?" Mavis asked.

"Time zones, Mavis. Spain is nine hours ahead of Los Angeles," Tim explained.

"Oh, right."

"Arran, do you feel anything?" Remy asked.

"Yes, now that we're much closer. The Sign is coming from over there!" Arran pointed to the end of the alleyway leading into the street. As the seven of them made their way out of the alley, a figure with two long horns curved upright hunched over the edge of the rooftop over the alley.

"Arran…" Jun muttered to himself. "So Hou Yi was right; there is a light demon among us." He turned towards the twin demons hounds that accompanied him, "Spread out and find the Sign. I will tail the light demon and the children and assess their abilities, what Hou Yi failed to do." Hei Gou nodded obediently and dashed off, followed hesitantly by An Gou as Jun turned and ran along the rooftop, keeping a close eye on the seven. At first glance, Jun could tell which of them were demons and which were not: the blonde, Arran, was the light demon, as was the girl with long brown hair, the boy with spiky black hair and finally, the other boy with shaggy black hair. That last one had to be Linos, Tzan Ren's son. None of them would do, however. He didn't want an opponent who had supernatural abilities. It wouldn't make the fight fair. After all, Jun didn't care about powers. What mattered to him was skill and honor in battle. He had selected countless opponents he thought would be worthy, only to easily defeat them in the end. None of them proved to be challenging or a true test of his abilities.

One thousand opponents, and he bested them all. Jun cast his eyes over the human members of the group. Already he could sense some magic coming off the light brown-haired boy. He wasn't a demon, no, but perhaps a Chi Wizard. Either way, he was out. As for the red-haired girl, he didn't have much to judge her abilities on, but based on Hou Yi's earlier encounter with them and what she said, the redhead was ordinary. Jun's eyes landed on the last one, the boy with black hair in a low ponytail and green eyes. He was close to brushing him off as well and prepared to lament on how he would never find an opponent that would truly test him.

That is, until he saw the crest on the boy's shirt. The emblem was unmistakable: two green circles on top of each other, the top smaller than the bottom while a moon shaped curve sat at the very bottom. Every demon knew that crest well as the symbol of the Ryder Clan, notorious demon slayers and hunters back in ancient times. Jun had battled a Ryder slayer once before, very skilled and very deadly. They were so evenly matched that it could have gone either way, but at the end, Jun was victorious. Out of all the battles he had fought, that was the most thrilling. Every skill he had being put to the test and he pushed himself harder and harder to win. He never thought in a million years that he would have the chance to face another Ryder slayer. The opportunity was just too much to pass up! He wasn't at all concerned at how young the slayer looked for he knew the Ryder Clan started training slayers at a young age. Fate had smiled upon him and given him a second chance to attain his goal. He would not squander this opportunity. Ryder slayers always went up against demons with great powers, usually without powers of their own to even things out. They were able to best powerful sorcerers with nothing more than a blade. That made them the perfect opponent for Jun.

"At last," he smiled, already unable to contain his excitement at the prospect of battle, "a worthy opponent, one who will give me what I desire most."

* * *

**So, you know originally this chapters was going to be all one Sign encounter, but I just got really into the first half and it ended up making the chapter a lot longer than I expected. So I figured this was a good place to call it for now. **


	5. Thousand Star Breaker

**So, at first I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find time to write now that school's started up, but it turns out that for my course, I'm a fast learner and I finish assignments in class ahead of everyone else. Soooo, that leaves me with a lot of me time to do whatever, in this case, write!**

**Apologies if the last chapter felt like a filler. I too dislike being given filler when I wait so faithfully for one of my shows so I give my sincerest apologies and hope this action-packed chapter will make up for it :) Basically when I'm typing up the chapter, I'll sometimes think of a conversation topic between characters as I go and I don't want to rush that conversation since, you know, irl friends take their time to talk about their stuff and all. And sometimes, writing all that out ends up being longer than I expected and I like my chapters to be around a certain length. So if I think the chapter's reached a good place to end, I'll stop it there. **

**I was gonna upload this last night, but I lost track of time playing WoW with D-Sniper and had to hit the hay early for school. .**

**Also, I will provide pronunciation guides for our Chinese named characters. I've seen people butcher Mandarin pronunciation mostly because they just never learned the language (which is understandable), but if I can help the non-Mandarin fluent readers say the names right, I will! And I'm totally not going to use proper phonetics or anything. I'll just use actual words or sounds of words lol.**

**Lang Yan: "l-ahng yen" ("ye" as in "yeah"; the "ang" in "Lang" is NOT pronounced like Aang's name in ATLA, it's got like an "ah" sound with it, actually, think of how they pronounced Aang's name in that god-awful live action movie)  
Hsian Ji: "sh-ien jee" ("j" as in "joke")  
Tai Ci: "tie tsi" (you know that South Park episode with Caesar Milan? "tsi" is like that sound he made when he was "training" Cartman)  
Sen Qiang: "sen (like "pen") chee-ahng  
Liao She: "lee-ow sh-uh" ("She" is not pronounced like "she"; the "e" sound in Mandarin makes like an "uh" sound)  
Dong Xin: "d-ohng sheen"  
Shuo Guang: "sh-wo ("wo" as in like "world", not "whoa") gwu-ahng"  
Hou Yi: "hoe yee"  
Jun Bing: "jun ("un" as in "gun") bing", like the search engine  
Wei Gong: "way gohng"  
Tzan Ren: "Tz-ahn ren"  
Hei Gou/An Gou: "hey go"/"ahn go"**

* * *

"Arran, do you feel it?" Liam asked again for the third time. He didn't mean to badger Arran, but he was the only one who could sense the Signs. This wasn't like when they had Tim actively tracking a Coin with a spell.

"Its close!" he exclaimed, "but its difficult to pinpoint. I can't focus with all these people!"

"Why are there so many people anyway?" Mavis asked, gazing at the street that was suddenly full of bustling people.

"It looks like everyone's setting up for some festival," Mala said, noticing people placing decorations on the exterior of buildings and setting up various vendor stalls.

"Well, we better find it fast! We don't want to risk a fire fight with this many people when the Shadow Legion shows up," Remy said.

"Remy's right. The sooner we find the Sign and get out of here, the better. Let's split up, cover more ground," Liam ordered as they all split up. The seven of the split up and scattered across different areas of the street, checking every little thing and every alleyway they could as discreetly as possible. After a few minutes of searching, a loud explosion erupted at the end of the street. The sky suddenly lit up brightly as a building in the distance burst into flame. Liam exchanged worried and shocked glances with his friends before they took off past the screaming and panicking public towards the fire.

"What happened?" Mala asked one of the bystanders.

"I don't know!" he cried in panic, eyes wide with fear, "The fire! It just started out of nowhere! I think there are still people inside!" Just as he said that, they could hear panicked screams coming from inside the burning building.

Liam turned to Drago. "Drago, you and me are on fire duty! I'll get anyone still inside; you keep that fire under control!"

"Got it!" Drago followed after Linos into the burning building, ignoring the cries of bystanders telling them not to go. Once inside, they quickly transformed into their demon forms. "How many people are still in the building?"

Linos closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated on the environment around him. He focused past the sound of the roaring flames all around him and concentrated on the panicked screams and whimpers coming from within the building. "We've got two on the next floor and one at the very top!" The pair wasted no time ascending the building to the next floor. As Drago kept the flames off them, Linos used his shadow tendrils to rip open the door. Flames erupted from the other side, desperately seeking the oxygen that Linos had now opened up for them, but Drago easily quelled the flames and kept them subdued. Linos picked up the unconscious man and swung him over his shoulder before proceeding to the next apartment. He and Drago repeated the same motion from before and easily retrieved the woman trapped inside. "Just the last one!" Linos cried.

Before they could continue, Hei Gou burst through one of the other apartment doors. When he noticed Linos and Drago present, Hei narrowed his eyes in a vicious glare. Linos could just make out the low growl that hummed from Hei even with the roaring flames around them. Drago narrowed his eyes, seeing something in Hei's mouth. "He's got the Sign!" Drago shouted, just as Hei ran off and out one of the windows into the street below.

"Let the others get Hei! We still have people to save. You take these two and get them out of here! I'll get the last one!" Linos shouted, handing Drago the two unconscious humans.

"You sure?" Drago asked.

"I'm sure! Now hurry!" Linos insisted, ascending the building further while Drago jumped out the same window as Hei. When Linos made it to the top floor, he rushed over to the second apartment, where he could hear faint whimpers and crying. Holding up his arms and preparing his wings to shield him from the flames, Linos burst through the door and noticed a small child covering in the corner in fear. When she saw Linos, she only squealed in fright more and tried to crawl further away from him, a feat the wall behind her prevented. "Whoa, whoa, it's ok!" he insisted, quickly shifting into his human form, "See? Normal guy!" The child relaxed slightly upon seeing Linos' human face, but remained paralyzed with fear from the fire around her. "Come on, let's get you out of here," he said, holding out his hand for her to take. Just as she hesitantly reached out to take his hand, another explosion burst through the building, prompting the child to jump into Linos' arms. Without another second thought, he changed back into his demon form and jumped out the window, folding his wings around his body to shield the child in his arms from shards of glass. As they fell, the child screamed loudly, prompting Linos to quickly open his wings and slow their descent into the street below. When he set the child down, he noticed her relieved parents running over to her. But that wasn't the only thing; Linos could easily notice every bystander's eyes on him. Before anyone could do or say anything, he quickly disappeared into his shadow before reappearing in a nearby alleyway in his human form. "So much for keeping a low profile," he muttered. He peeked out from the alleyway just in time to see the fire trucks pull up. His eyes locked with that of the girl he saved, who smiled and waved at him. He waved back before noticed a flash of light in the sky a few blocks over. "Arran…" he muttered, changing into demon form again and taking off towards the light. As he flew, he noticed Arran and Mala in their demon forms – with Mala carrying Tim and Mavis with her – landing on a rooftop standing opposite to Hei, who defiantly stood his ground. He landed on the roof with them just as Drago joined them as well.

"How'd it go with the fire?" Tim asked.

"We got everyone out," Drago answered, proudly. "Honestly, it felt good saving people from a fire rather than setting fire to a building."

"Where's An?" Linos asked when he noticed only Hei.

"Don't know, so far it's only been this one," Arran said, drawing back a light arrow. "You have something that belongs to me," Arran narrowed his eyes at Hei, who mirrored his action.

Before Arran fired his light arrow, An Gou jumped onto the roof and stood by her twin. Hei gestured with a shake of his head for her to attack, but when she saw Linos, she became hesitant. Hei narrowed his eyes and took his front paw and slashed her across the face, knocking her down.

"Hey!" Linos shouted, stepping forward, "leave her alone!" Hei turned to Linos, dropped the Sign from his mouth and placed his paw protectively over it, refusing to relinquish ownership. Opening his mouth wide, Hei unleashed a stream of black flames towards the group, but Mala quickly raised a crystal wall in front of them to shield them all from the blast. When the flames finally stopped, Mala lowered the crystal wall.

An slowly rose from the ground, whimpering in pain and frantically shaking her head, as if she was fighting some internal battle that they were all oblivious to. When she opened her eyes, they were glowing dark red and her posture relaxed.

"Oh no," Linos muttered.

"What?" Drago cried.

"Whatever you do, please, don't hurt An," he begged Arran. Arran looked at his cousin in confusion before suddenly being knocked to the ground by An, who tackled him. Linos helped pull An off Arran, trying not to hurt either of them in the process. "It's ok, An, it's ok," Linos assured her, but An only snarled at him menacingly.

"Hey! Hei's getting away!" Mavis yelled, pointing at Hei as he ran away across the rooftops. "Boy that's weird to say."

"We can't let him get away!" Tim shouted.

"I'll hold An! Go after Hei!" Mala cried, as Pearl quickly changed into her battle form and engaged An.

"You two stay here," Linos said to Tim and Mavis.

"But!" Mavis started, but Linos interrupted her.

"It'll be easier to chase Hei down when I'm not carrying you two," he reasoned before flying off with Arran.

"We can't risk attacking from up here! We might hit civilians!" Arran cried.

"Then we'll have to get in close!" Linos agreed. Linos descended over Hei and slowly reached out towards the demon scout, but Hei whipped his spiked tail and Linos only narrowly avoided being hit.

"You're lingering too long! Try dropping me on him!" Drago shouted from below, running along rooftops to keep up with the pair. Linos nodded and flew down, grabbing either of Drago's wrists and lifting him into the air. Once they were directly over Hei, Linos dropped Drago, who landed right on top of the shadow demon hound. Hei lost his foot and the two of them rolled off the rooftop and landed roughly on a wooden gate, smashing it to bits.

"Oh that can't be good," Arran commented, noticing the gate they destroyed housed several black bulls that immediately became aggressive and prepared to charge.

"Crap!" Drago shouted, getting up to his feet and running down the street away from the bulls as Hei and the bulls followed closely behind.

"I've gotcha Drago!" Linos shouted, flying down right over Drago and grabbing his wrists again to raise him into the air. From up above the streets, they watched Hei desperately try to outrun the stampeding bulls, but he did not have An's speed and was easily trampled. When the bulls cleared down the rest of the street, Linos and Arran landed on the ground. A recovered Hei tried to seize the Sign he had dropped but Arran shot three light arrows that landed right in front of him, stopping the demon hound in his tracks.

"I don't think so," Arran said with narrowed red eyes as he drew back on his bow, ready to fire another light arrow. Hei, sensing no other options, begrudgingly retreated. Arran dispelled his light bow and bent down to pick up the Sign. As he examined the face of it, the greenish yellow bull insignia flashed.

"Oh, oh, oh! I wanna see!" Mavis squealed, trying to get a look. "Cool, so what's it do?"

"Taurus, Titanic Strength," Arran replied.

"Oh," Mavis sighed disappointed. "No offence, but we've kinda done super strength already."

"Well, at least we got the first one. That's one more that my father won't be getting his hands on," Linos declared.

"Wait, where's Remy?" Mala asked, prompting everyone else to look around for their missing friend.

* * *

Remy's head shot up instantly when he heard the explosion and saw the roaring fire in the distance. "Oh no," he muttered to himself before taking off towards the fire. He ducked into an alleyway as a shortcut and to bypass all the people that ran in the opposite direction to him, but came to a halt when a figure jumped down and landed in front of him. Remy cautiously took a step back and slowly reached for his sword. "Let me guess, Shadow Legion commander?" Remy asked, whipping out his jian sword.

"I am known as The Swordmaster, Commander of the infantry of the Shadow Legion," he reached for the dark blue sword strapped on his back as he spoke, "But you may call me Jun Bing." Without another word, Jun lunged forward as Remy just barely managed to block Jun's sword strike. He regained his footing and pushed the demon off him with his sword before reaching into his jacket and throwing out two circular blades, but Jun easily dodged the first and deflected the second with his sword. "The sun blades of Tai Ci," Jun said, recognizing the circular blades Remy used. "So you've bested the Sun Demon, even better," Jun grinned.

"What are you going on about?" Remy cried.

"You know, I've faced a Ryder hunter before," Jun smiled smugly when he saw the look of shock on Remy's face. "I never thought in a million years I'd get to face another," Jun declared, raising his sword and pointing the tip at Remy.

The two swordsmen dashed towards each other once more, matching blow for blow as the metallic clang of their swords making contact echoed through the chilly night sky. When they broke apart, Jun held his sword out to his right side as the silver stars on the navy blade began glowing. Remy looked at Jun and his blade in confusion and watched in awe as Jun moved the blade in a large circle, leaving behind small glowing orbs of silver until it came back to its starting point. Before Remy could question what the demon was doing, the orbs suddenly shot towards him at incredible speed. He just barely managed to deflect the orbs with his sword but one struck him in the shoulder and another right in his chest, knocking him roughly onto the ground. Before Remy could push himself up, Jun strolled over to him and planted his foot on Remy's other shoulder, pinning him to the ground. Remy held his breath and tensed when Jun brought the tip of his sword to Remy's neck.

"Qian Xing Po, the sword that broke one thousand stars," Jun declared. "Tell me, will you be one thousand and one?" Remy glared angrily at the demon that pinned him down while Jun continued speaking, "You are not your ancestor, that's for sure. It's no wonder your clan fell into decline. So, how will you get out of this, slayer?" Jun asked, genuinely intrigued to see Remy's next move.

Keeping Jun's navy sword in his peripheral vision, Remy scanned all aspects of the alley he could see. Nothing was within his reach and if he made a move, Jun could move in to finish the job. Short of his friends arriving dramatically to save the day, Remy was out of options. So, he did the only thing he could think of doing. He reached up to the navy star sword and wrapped his hand around it. In response to his movement, Jun moved back, pulling his sword along with him as the blade sliced open Remy's palm. As quickly as he could, Remy pushed himself to his feet with his other, unharmed hand and lunged toward Jun with his bloody palm extended out. Jun`s eyes widened in alarm as he stepped back and jumped onto the roof of the small building next to them. Jun was about to say something, but his gaze shifted from Remy to directly in front of him as three light arrows shot towards him. Jun easily sliced through two of them with his sword before catching the third in his hand.

"Remy!" Remy turned when he heard his name called and saw his friends arriving.

Arran, hovering above them, kept his bow drawn back with another light arrow aimed at Jun. When Arran noticed that Jun was holding the light arrow and unaffected by its power, he uttered, "How are you-"

"I would not waste your light arrows on me, Archer," Jun said, tossing aside the light arrow as if it was nothing. "Unlike my associates, I was not born of shadows," he remarked, before turning to address Remy. "I enjoyed our battle, however short it was. I see much potential in you; I look forward to when our blades clash next, Remy." Jun sheathed his sword and politely bowed before fading away into the shadows.

"What was that about?" Mavis asked.

"Remy, you ok?" Tim asked.

"I'm fine; it's just a scratch. What happened with you guys?"

"Oh you know, fought some demons, saved some people and kept a magical artifact from the forces of evil," Drago casually remarked.

"Which means we should be getting home. I don't know about all of you, but I think we've attracted enough attention here today," Arran said, opening a light portal back to Los Angeles for them. "The only thing I don't understand is why that demon wasn't affected by my light arrows," Arran pondered as they came out of the portal into his shop.

"He said his name was Jun Bing, the Swordmaster," Remy said as he bandaged the wound on his hand.

"Jun Bing?" Liam asked, back in his human form now.

"You know him?" Arran asked.

"Not personally, but I know of him. Dad didn't involve me a lot in Shadow Legion business, but I picked up a few things here and there. Where Hou Yi leads the rangers and scouts, Jun Bing is in charge of the main infantry."

"So he's another demon commander?" Mala asked.

"Right. I never met him, but I heard a lot of stories about him."

"Like what?" Mavis asked.

"Well, the most common one was that he's the most powerful swordsman in existence. It's said that he's defeated one thousand of the world's greatest warriors."

"The sword that broke one thousand stars…" Remy gasp.

"Qian Xing Po. When I was a kid, I heard that the sword contains the souls of the one thousand warriors he's defeated," Liam continued.

"But how come he was immune to Arran's light arrow?" Drago asked.

"Another rumor might actually explain that. You see, like most demons, I figured Jun was a Shadow demon. But I did hear a couple rumors circulating that he wasn't. There wasn't much to go on, but it just said that Jun wasn't born like other demons and he had no elemental alignment like most demons of his level. Nobody really knows where he came from, he just…appeared."

"How exactly did you learn all this if your dad didn't let you near his Shadow Legion?" Tim asked.

"Who said I had to be near them to learn this? It's very easy to eavesdrop when you have Sound Demon Chi," Liam smiled.

"One other thing," Arran spoke up, "Earlier, you asked me not to hurt An, that it wasn't her fault. What did you mean by that?"

"Oh well, you guys know how An's always been… different, like me? Let's just say it made following my dad's orders difficult. Hei never had a problem; he was always obedient to my dad, but An had trouble following orders. And whenever that happened, my dad was able to assume control of her, force her to obey. Hei wanted her to attack us, but she didn't want to, so my father forced her to attack."

"Being forced to attack someone you care about… that's so sad," Mala commented.

"Yeah," Liam agreed, "An was always there for me. I couldn't save my mother, but I won't let my father take An from me too!"

* * *

**Jun has easily become my personal favorite of the three demon commanders. I don't know about you guys, but since joining the team, Remy has kiiiinda taken a bit of a backseat. I mean, the focus for plots tends to either revolve around Linos or Mala, since they are kinda the main characters. So, I thought it would be good to give Remy a rival of his own! Give him some spotlight for a bit :)**


	6. Night Terror

**Goodness me, it's been over a month! So sorry to keep you guys waiting, but I just hit one of those blocks and couldn't get past it. Now, I can't guarantee any chapters for a while since I'll be dedicating most of my spare time to finishing my RWBY Raven Branwen cosplay in time for FanExpo next month, but I do manage to find some writing time during classes in the morning. So, fingers crossed!**

* * *

"Linos… Linos…"

"Huh? Who's there?" Linos called out. He looked all around him for any sign of someone, but there was nothing. Beyond that, it only took him seconds to figure out where he was. The dark red skies and floating rocks told him he was in the Demon Netherworld. But that wasn't right… he lived in the human world and the last time he was here, he was saving Mavis and Tim! So how did he end up back here? He thought hard, desperately trying to recall some recent memories and deduce what was going on, but nothing was coming to mind. Suddenly, he spotted a figure floating in the distance. He squinted his eyes, trying to get a clear look at the figure before his eyes widened in shock and he gasped, recognizing the long black hair and four wings.

"Mom?" he cried out hopefully as tears welled up in his eyes. Hsian Ji said nothing and instead turned to fly away. "Wait, don't go!" he shouted, flying after her. "Mom, wait!" he called out after her, but she kept flying like she couldn't or wouldn't acknowledge him. He flapped his wings harder, trying to catch up but the distance between them only seemed to grow. "Mom!" he shouted again.

All of a sudden, shadows swirled all around him, surrounding Linos in complete darkness. He looked up ahead and saw that his mother had stopped flying and he was finally able to catch up to her. "Mom," he sighed in relief, landing behind her as her back was turned to him. He hesitantly reached his hand forward and gently grabbed her shoulder to turn her around. He smiled as he felt his chest constrict, making it more difficult to breath. But he didn't care; he was just so overcome with joy.

He could barely contain himself as he leapt forward and hugged his mother tightly. "I'm so sorry, mom!" he wailed as tears streamed down his face. He wasn't exactly sure what it was he was apologizing for: maybe for being different, maybe for causing her death… maybe both. When Hsian Ji made no response, he unconsciously hugged her tighter, as if fearing that if he pulled back even slightly, she would be ripped from him. But then, he relaxed when her felt his mother's large wings wrap around him. It was a feeling he had always cherished growing up, the feeling of those large wings wrapping around him, making him feel safe and loved in this harsh world of demons. The feeling made him feel so warm inside, but it also made sob harder. "Shh… there, there," she cooed, lightly stroking his head with her wing talon. Linos was no stranger to this. Whenever he was sad or scared, his mother would wrap him up in her wings, saying that because they were so big, nothing could get in to hurt him, as she stroked his hair. The sensation instantly made him relax then just as it did now. "It's not your fault," she whispered. Linos pulled away slightly so as to look at his mother. "It's not your fault," she repeated.

Before Linos could say another word, he felt something wet spray on him as his mother coughed weakly. In pure shock, he slowly reached up to his face, wiped the liquid that had sprayed on his cheek and examined it. It was thick and dark, almost black. Blood. When he moved his hand away, he saw the tip of a large orange blade piercing through his mother's abdomen as her black blood trailed out from both the wound and the corner of her mouth. The blade withdrew sharply as Hsian Ji lost her balance and stumbled forward into her son's arms.

"Mom? MOM!" Linos shouted desperately as he watched the life drain from his mother's eyes.

With her last breath, she whispered to him again, "It's… not your… fault."

"I wouldn't listen to her, if I were you." Linos looked up to see his father standing over them, holding his large orange broadsword that still dripped with Hsian Ji's blood. "After you were born, your mother developed the habit of lying to spare your feelings," he remarked. Tzan Ren held his free hand open and shot out a black beam right at Hsian Ji's chest, lifting her limp body into the air.

"Stop! What are you doing?" Linos shouted. He ran to tackle his father, but shadowy tendrils from out of nowhere wrapped around his arms, restraining him. He watched in horror as the black beam tore into his mother's body, extracting a small, white orb with four little wings. Tzan Ren roughly seized the orb and held it in his hand before showing it to Linos tauntingly. He gripped the orb tightly as the little wings weakly fluttered, trying in vain to get free.

"You want her?" he asked, "Come and get her!" With a snap of his fingers, the tendrils restraining Linos disappeared and he was free. Without a second thought, Linos lunged forward, ready to attack. But he stopped just before he reached his father, their faces inches apart and his hand just barely reaching Hsian Ji's spirit. He felt something large and sharp pierce him and looked down to see his father's sword stabbing him right through his abdomen, much like how it had his mother only moments ago as blood dripped down his stomach. His father stepped forward, driving the sword the rest of the way through him. Linos couldn't find his voice and coughed violently, blood coming out instead of words. His father leaned in close to his ear and maliciously whispered, "This is how it is going to end. First, it will be just you and me. And then, it will be just me." Tzan Ren stepped back and brought his foot up against Linos' ribs, pushing his son off his bloody sword.

Linos fell to the ground paralyzed by the pain of his wound. He felt his head getting lighter and he struggled to keep his eyes open. The last thing he saw before darkness consumed him was his cackling father standing over him as he bled out.

"Ah!" Liam exclaimed loudly as he suddenly awoke from his nightmare. In his surprise, he accidentally let go of the ceiling he usually clung to at night when he slept and fell, landing roughly on the coffee table in the living room below, an action which split the table in two and broke the legs off as well. "Ow…" he groaned.

"Liam!"

"Ah, what?" Liam nearly jumped out of his seat at the sound of Tim shouting his name.

"You were sleeping again," Mala noted.

"Oh, sorry," Liam yawned, "I just haven't been getting much sleep lately."

"You didn't accidentally drink a can of Red Bull, did you?" Mavis asked.

"Not since you tricked me into drinking one. Never again…" he muttered.

"What happened?" Drago asked.

"Weeeeell, let's just say that energy drink have a different effect on demons than they do on humans," Mavis explained.

"I was awake for three days straight," Liam groaned.

"And when he did finally fall asleep, he was out like a light for nearly a week! We had to Weekend At Bernie's him, which is not as easy as that movie makes it look!" Mavis exclaimed.

"Yeah, I think we've established that I can't have energy drinks. I guess the chemicals and substances are just more potent for someone like me," Liam yawned again.

"Maybe you should try coffee instead," Arran said, walking over to the booth in his almost finished restaurant where the six sat. He was holding a tray full of drinks and set a small cup of coffee in front of Liam before reaching for the other drinks. "One English breakfast tea," Arran listed off, placing the cup in front of Tim, "one green tea for Remy, one caramel latte no foam for Mala, one extra hot chocolate for Drago, and one large chocolate milkshake for Mavis, extra milkshake, extra whipped cream." Arran took the whipped cream can off his tray and sprayed some of the cream on the milkshake. As he pulled it away, Mavis stopped him.

"Leave the can," she said simply.

"So why have you been having trouble sleeping?" Remy asked.

"Bad dreams?" Arran asked as Liam carefully sniffed the coffee before taking a small sip. He instantly felt the bitter taste and set the coffee down, desperately trying to get the taste out.

"Yeah, for a few days now, but I don't really wanna talk about it," he said. It wasn't that he wanted to keep things from his friends, but he didn't really want to talk about having the recurring dream where his father killed his mother and then him over and over. Was it a premonition of the future or was his father somehow trying to torment him in his dreams? He wasn't there when his father killed his mother, but the moment her life ended, he could feel it. Call it a sixth sense or some phenomena of the strong connection between a mother and her child, but he just knew it when it happened. It felt like a million little knives stabbing him all across his body before a large sword stabbed right through his chest and heart. His whole body paralyzed and he couldn't breath. It was like when she was gone, a part of him went with her. "So it looks like you're almost ready to open," Linos said, noticing the decor and hoping to change the subject.

"Just about," Arran replied, "think you guys are ready to work?"

"Absolutely!" Drago beamed with excitement, still intent on using his earnings to buy that motorcycle he was looking at earlier.

"That's not the only reason you called us here so late, right?" Mala asked.

"Right you are. I've picked up another Sign," Arran answered.

"Where we headed this time?" Tim asked.

"The African Safari."

"Aw, sweet! I've always wanted to see all the awesome wild animals there! Maybe I'll even adopt a little orphaned lion cub and name her Elsa, just like in that one movie we watched in the second grade. Or Christian, if its a boy," Mavis smiled.

"I highly doubt your parents will let you keep a pet lion," said Liam.

"Shhhhh, don't spoil the moment," she said, silencing Liam by smushing her fingertip against his lips.

Once Arran closed all the blinds and locked the doors of his soon-to-be restaurant, he opened a portal of light that took the seven of them all the way to the middle of the African Safari. "Great googly moogly is it ever hot here!" Mavis exclaimed.

Arran formed a light compass that hovered over his hands with a small arrow pointing off towards one direction. "The Sign is this way," he announced, leading the group to the Sign. Liam walked next to Arran while the others trailed behind them as Mavis stopped nearly every few feet to look at another animal. "So, I'm going to take a guess and say that it's not just the bad dreams that are bothering you."

Liam sighed. He and his cousin may not have known each other long, but it was clear that Arran was an exceptional read of character. "No, it's not," he admitted.

"How long have you been having them?"

"For nearly two weeks now, but they only come about every other night."

"What's it about?"

"...My mother," Liam struggled to admit. It wasn't that Liam had difficulty talking with his friends. It was just this instance, this one moment where he felt so vulnerable and he didn't think his friends would understand. "Every time it's the same thing: Tzan Ren kills my mother and then he kills me. And all the while she just keeps saying 'it's not your fault'. I wasn't there when my father really killed her, but-but I could feel it when it happened. I just knew."

"You've carried the weight of your mother's death for some time haven't you?"

"You have no idea."

"Actually I believe I do," Arran said, earning Liam's full attention. "My mother left my father and I when I was still very young. I didn't understand it at the time, but she promised me that someday I would. And I have come to understand her reason for leaving. She was aware of your father's hatred for her and everything she represented and knew that if my existence was discovered, it would put myself and my father at risk. She left us to conceal our existence and she died letting her twin believe he had wiped out all light demons."

"But don't you ever wish that things could have been different? Like, if you knew what was going to happen, you would choose something else?" Liam asked.

"Sometimes. After she left us, I always imagined what it would be like if she stayed, but as I grew older, I realized if she did stay, the three of us would probably be dead. Don't dwell on thoughts of what you could have done to save her, cousin. A mother will always disregard her own well-being to ensure the safety of her child. To them, it won't matter if they live to see another day, it only matters that their child does. Given the chance, I don't think Hsian Ji would have chosen differently. People we love come into and go from our lives constantly. It will always hurt when they leave us, but so long as we hold them close to our hearts, they're never really gone."

"...Thanks, Arran," Liam smiled, but he was only being half honest. Even with Arran's heartwarming words, Liam still carried the heartbreak and sorrow that lingered with his mother's death. He had always blamed himself for it and all he wanted now was to have her back! But still, even years after her death, he's been unable to make contact with her astral form while it only took a few weeks for Lang Yan to return in astral form to Mala. So why was Hsian Ji's astral form not around? But the pain and guilt was only half the problem. Liam had figured out after the third night of these recurring dreams what the cause of them was. No, it wasn't a manifestation of his guilt haunting him, instead it was his father. Tzan Ren was called the Night Terror for a reason, being able to inflict terrifying and painful nightmares upon his victims. This was just another one of his father's attempts to play with him, to get in his head and torment him with visions of his own mother's death. Liam steeled himself as he refused to let his father's tricks get to him any further. His mother was out there and he was going to find her and he would stop Tzan Ren before that monster hurt anyone else he cared about.

Arran stopped suddenly, causing everyone else to halt behind him. "We're close. The Sign should be right ahead of us," he said, as they all looked up ahead.

"That is a lion's den," Tim noted as they all stared at the large cave in front of them, "which is most likely filled with vicious, territorial lions."

"Score!" Mavis beamed preparing to rush up to the lion's den only to be stopped when someone grabbed the collar of her shirt and held her back.

"I can't believe I have to say this, but Mavis, please do not go running off into a lion's den!" Tim exclaimed.

"Spoilsport," she muttered.

"Oh by all means, wander into the lion's den! It'll mean less of my arrows will go to waste!" They all swiftly turned around to see Hou Yi, arrow at the ready and once again accompanied by Hei Gou and An Gou.

"Heh, I was counting the seconds until one of you would show up. So did my father ream you out for your massive failure last time?" Liam taunted, transforming into his demon form.

"Grrr, you're lucky the master wants you alive or I'd skewer you myself human-lover!" Hou Yi growled under her breath as she fired two black arrows towards them. Linos opened his mouth and let out a loud sonic scream, sending the arrows flying away, but with the swift move of her hand, Hou Yi brought the arrows back on path with her wind powers. Instead of try again to blow them away, Arran jumped in front of his cousin, transforming into demon form in the process as well and projected a light shield around them, disintegrating the black arrows on contact.

"You might as well turn back Hou Yi. Even with Hei and An, you're outnumbered!" Arran shouted as Mala and Drago also assumed demon form and Remy drew out his sword.

"Oh, am I?" Hou Yi grinned. As the clouds moved across the sky to block out the sun, the shadows cast by trees and rocks grew larger as shadow demons emerged. They were mostly incorporeal masses of dark shadows that took form resembling Hou Yi in size and shape with a smoky aura surrounding them. Like her, they were hooded, but their faces were completely hidden and only red eyes could be seen, and wore similar dark colored armor minus the green trim Hou Yi's armor had. "Rangers of the Shadow Legion! Attack!" Hou Yi ordered. The shadow demons she summoned formed large black bows in their hands and began unleashing a rain of arrows unto them. Mala quickly raised a crystal barrier to surround them and repel the arrows. Arran ducked in and out of cover to fire his own arrows back, but didn't have enough time to aim properly.

"I can't get a clear shot!" Arran cried, taking cover behind Mala's crystal wall.

"We're sitting ducks here!" Drago shouted, peering out from behind the wall every now and then to throw a fireball at the rangers only to have them countered by Hei and An's fire breath.

"I've got an idea. I can get the three of us behind them and we'll be able to come at them from both sounds," Linos explained to Remy and Drago. Remy and Drago moved close to Linos as he surrounded the three of them with shadows before sinking into the earth and dashing across the battlefield to the opposite end. "I'll cover you two from above," Linos declared, spreading his wings and taking to their air. He carefully watched from above as Drago and Remy took down several rangers from behind. When Linos saw some of the rangers notice their advance, he quickly let out a sonic scream at them before they could fire any arrows at Remy and Drago.

Hou Yi turned, feeling the force of Linos' sonic scream and narrowed her eyes angrily at the flying demon. "Retrieve the Sign! Kill anyone that gets in your way!" she ordered to the twin demon hounds before turning her attention back to Linos, who she easily brought to the ground with her dark wind magic. "I will deliver you to my master personally!" she declared, aiming an arrow at Linos.

"You're more than welcome to try!" Linos bit back, letting out another sonic scream as she fired her arrows at him.

With less rangers present than before thanks to Drago and Remy, Mala and Arran were finally able to counterattack while Tim utilized chi spells against them. "We've got incoming!" Tim yelled, noticing Hei and An advancing towards them with great haste.

"I'm on it!" Mavis shouted, turning around and running into the lion's den before anyone could stop her. Just as Mala hovered just above the crystal wall to attack again, Hei Gou jumped over the wall and pinned her roughly to the ground. She quickly pushed his snapping jaw from her face, but the demon hound was incredibly strong and she was just barely able to keep those razor sharp fangs from her face. An leapt over after Hei and dashed into the cave after Mavis. Tim just stood there, unable to help since his spells could also affect Mala if they hit her and Arran was too busy suppressing fire from the leftover rangers. Mala tightly grasped Hei's neck, still trying to push the enormous beast off her. But then, Hei opened his mouth as black flames formed at the back of his throat. Mala quickly crystallized her entire body before the flames struck her; the heat was intense, but in her fully crystallized form, the heat barely bothered her. Remembering what happened when her crystals were exposed to fire, Mala could already feel the electricity building up in her crystal body. She quickly pressed her palms against Hei Gou's ribs, releasing the electricity straight into the demon hound's body. Hei roared in pain as he tried to push himself away from Mala, but she dug her sharp fingertips into his armored skin to keep him in place. When she released the last bit of electricity, she released her hands from Hei's body as the hound fell to the side, limp.

Meanwhile, deep in the lion's den, Mavis searched behind every nook and cranny for the Sign. "Man… if I was a magical artifact, where would I be?" she asked herself. Just then, she pushed aside a large boulder to see a Sign with a golden lion beneath it. "Score! I swear that's like the tenth time that's happened." Mavis picked up the Sign and examined it closely, "Now, my pretty, what do you do?" Mavis quickly turned her head towards the den entrance when she heard approaching footsteps behind her. "Oh, well at least you're the nice one," Mavis commented upon seeing An Gou in front of her. Unfortunately, An's eyes glowed brightly as she let out a menacing growl. "Right… mind control, not so nice. Ok, Leo, let's see what you do!" Mavis held the Leo Sign out towards An Gou, but nothing happened. "Am I doing this wrong or something?" she asked herself.

An yelped loudly as she felt Tzan Ren's control over her compel her to move, rushing towards Mavis. "No, wait! Stop!" Mavis instinctively cried. She lifted her arms up to shield herself from the demon hound, but when she felt nothing strike her, she opened her eyes and saw An standing in place in front of her. "Uh…" Mavis looked at An and then the Leo Sign and repeated this until she finally made the connection. "Ohohohoho, this is gonna be great! Oh, um, you stay here until we're done with the fight and all," Mavis said as an obediently remained in place.

Just as Mavis reached the entrance of the den, Mala and Tim were just about to head in after her. "Mavis! We saw An Gou go in after you. You ok?" Tim asked.

"More than ok!" she beamed, showing them the Leo Sign. "How are we holding up?"

"We're surviving, but Hou Yi and her rangers still outnumber us!" Mala replied.

"Then there's no point for us to stick around any longer if we've got the Sign," Tim noted.

"I can open a light portal to get the others back with us, but I'll need you to cover me," Arran said.

"Yeah, that might be a problem." Tim pointed off in the distance where the four of them saw a swift lioness rushing towards them.

"That's definitely a problem," Mala added.

"Mavis, which Sign did you find?" Arran asked quickly.

"Way ahead of you, Arran!" Mavis declared. Once the lioness got closer, Mavis used the Leo Sign, compelling the noble beast to halt. "Want me to get her to maul Hou Yi?" she asked excitedly.

"That's probably not the best idea. Lioness, demon archer?" Mala asked, trying to illustrate her point with her arms by raising one hand and lowering the other.

"Fine…" Mavis pouted, handing Arran the Sign. Arran turned his attention back to the battlefield, where he caught sight of Drago and Remy fighting more Shadow Legion rangers. He opened up a light portal right between them as the pair instantly jumped through before appearing next to the rest of them.

"You two ok?" Mala asked.

"Nothing we couldn't handle," Drago said smugly.

"Um, you have an arrow in your shoulder…" Mavis pointed out.

"WHAT?" Mala shrieked loudly, quickly spinning Drago around to inspect his shoulder, which, as Mavis stated, had an arrow sticking out of it.

"Huh… would you look at that?" Drago mused, looking over his shoulder to spot the arrow that he somehow hadn't notice piece his skin.

"You got shot and you didn't even notice?" Mala cried again.

"I'm a dragon, we don't notice a lot of things!" he said without thinking.

"I'll say," Mavis chuckled. Remy moved to take the arrow out of Drago's shoulder, but Mavis quickly pushed him aside to do the deed herself, earning a sudden and sharp growl from Drago. When Remy looked at her confused, she simply said, "Hey, you got to do it last time!"

"What about Linos?" Remy asked.

"Hang on… got him!" Arran opened a portal right in front of them, reached inside and pulled Linos through to safety and away from Hou Yi. Without another word, Arran opened a second portal and they escaped back into his shop. "You ok?" he asked, as they changed back into their human forms.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he assured them, taking a seat in one of the booths.

"So which Sign was it this time?" Remy asked.

"The Leo Sign," Arran said, showing the rest.

"Well, I already figured out what that one does: animal control… and by that, I mean the ability to control animals, not the government department of the same name," Mavis laughed.

"That's right. I never really did use it much," Arran remarked.

While the rest of them continued talking about the Leo Sign, Liam completely zoned out until the voices of his friends became nothing more than thick, indiscernible blurs. In truth, he was far from fine. During the fight he… saw things and despite how close he felt to his friends, he couldn't bring himself to discuss this with them.

Hou Yi's dark wind magic had grounded him, so he didn't have his usual advantage over ground opponents. During one of his charge attacks on her, she suddenly morphed into the image of his mother, causing him to instantly stop. And in that moment, the image of his mother became that of his father, as shadow tendrils lashed out towards him, striking his arms and shoulder. He blinked his eyes to clear his vision as the tendrils turned into Hou Yi's arrows. He ripped out the two that struck his wings while the others only managed to graze his arms.

Before he even stood up, a mass of shrill whispers assaulted his ears. He cried out in pain and covered his ears, but it did little to silence the shrieks and harsh whispers. "You will die, just as she did!" one voice said. "But before I end your pathetic life, I'll make you watch as I destroy everything you love!" said another while the others whispered shorter taunts. He didn't catch all of them, but he did make out a few: "You are weak!" "It's your fault she's dead!" and "Accept your fate" to name a few. It was then that he felt someone grab onto his shoulder and pull him away to safety and once they were far from the shadow demons, Linos felt the voices leave his head.

It didn't take him long to figure out what the cause of them was. He knew his father had this… power to get into your head, exploit your weaknesses and make you see things that would make you hesitate. And a single hesitation was all Tzan Ren would need to finish you. But what troubled Liam wasn't that his father was able to do this. He knew the extent of his father's abilities, but he truly thought he had mastered the ability to prevent his father from getting into his head. Clearly, he was wrong.

* * *

Hou Yi cried out in pain as Tzan Ren delivered another painful shock of thunder to her, another punishment for her failure. Wei and Jun stood off to the side while Hei and An stood on either side of Tzan Ren's astral form.

When the pain finally stopped, Hou Yi collapsed to the ground, breathing raggedly as she desperately tried to gain the strength to stand, but she only managed to hold herself over the ground. "M-master, please," she muttered weakly.

"You continue to disappoint me, Hou Yi. I'm beginning to reconsider my choice in appointing you leader of my rangers," Tzan Ren mused

"No! Please! I swear, just give me another chance! I beg of you!" she pleaded, only to be dealt another blisteringly painful shock of electricity.

"Master," Jun Bing cut in, interrupting Tzan Ren.

"What?" he hissed.

"I do not wish to tell you how to manage your underlings, but I believe that if you punish Hou Yi too harshly, she may become a liability rather than an asset," Jun noted.

"Heh, puny archer is a weakling," Wei laughed.

"Assets do not fail me," Tzan Ren glared.

"Even so, she has some skill with a bow and dark wind that we lack."

"And what do you suggest, Jun Bing?"

"She has the skill and power, but lacks discipline. Entrust her to me and I shall refine her for you," he said, knowing all the while that he spoke, Hou Yi glared viciously at him.

Tzan Ren turned, thinking on Jun's idea for a moment before turning back to address his subordinate. "Very well, Jun. Hou Yi, you are no longer commander of my rangers. Instead, you report to Jun, as will my rangers. And perhaps if I see some improvement, I may consider returning you to commander."

* * *

**You can bet Hou Yi isn't going to take her demotion or Jun "saving" her nicely. In fact, this will no doubt only further strain their relationship, as if they had a good one to begin with lol**

**Next: Callahan family reunion!**


	7. Callahan Family Reunion

**Yay! Another chapter! And this one is a two parter!**

**Oh! And in the last chapter, that was not a Frozen reference. That was a reference to Christian the Lion and Elsa the Lioness, two real life lions raised by humans before being returned to the wild. We watched a movie adaptation about Elsa back in first grade and I've remembered it all this time XD Just wanted to make that clear since by the timeline of this story Frozen hasn't technically happened yet.**

* * *

"All right folks, final check! Carry-on luggage!" Mavis announced, pacing back and forth in front of the lineup consisting of her friends and brothers. They were at the airport just before security getting ready for their long, nearly eleven hour flight to Ireland for Mavis' family reunion. Their flight was set to arrive late in the evening in Ireland, which was eight hours ahead of their timezone in Los Angeles, which also meant that they were leaving in the middle of the night, hence why everyone - except for Mavis - were simply exhausted with drooping eyelids and frequent yawns.

"Check," they all answered sleepily.

"Boarding passes?"

"Check."

"Passports?"

"Check."

"Good. Now that we've got those out of the way, it's time to move on to the essentials. Everyone got whatever charging cables you need?"

"Yes," they all answered again in unison, some yawning while she answered.

"Comfortable neck pillows?" Mavis asked, sporting her own bright pink neck pillow with gold stars and moons around her neck and on her shoulders.

"Mavis, you're the only one who ever uses those," Finn, Mavis' older brother yawned.

"And you just lost your chance at borrowing this fine piece of air travel equipment," Mavis responded smugly.

"How are you possible so energetic right now? It's nearly 3 am!" Mala exclaimed.

"Oh I drank like three Red Bulls! I've been up and about since 7 am yesterday packing, organizing AND AND AND planning out all the stuff we're gonna do once we get to Uncle Seamus'!"

"You've been awake for nearly twenty four hours?" Tim cried. "Mavis, that's not healthy!"

"Pfft, duh! If there's one thing I awesome at is planning and organizing sleep time. You see, I took juuuuuust the right amount of Red Bull to keep me up all day yesterday and according to my calculations - yes I did the math, Tim, shut up - I should crash just as we get to our seats on the plane," she responded hyperactively as he eye suddenly twitched for a second.

Mavis' parents finally finished checking their luggage in as their group made their way through security and to their boarding gate. Along the way, Mavis made several remarks on locations of bathrooms and food stops as if she were some sort of tour guide. They sat at the gate for nearly an hour before they finally started boarding. Drago, Mala and Remy sat on the left side of the plane with Mavis, Liam and Tim behind them while Mavis' brothers sat in the middle with their parents in the row behind them.

"You know, I could fly there on my own and get there before this giant metal bird," Liam remarked.

"Yeah, or Arran could just teleport us all to Ireland, but that would be a bit suspicious wouldn't it? Us not being on the same flight as Mavis' family and making it there before them?" Tim noted.

"Hm, makes sense. But still, I'd much rather be using my own wings." Liam casually glanced over to Mavis, who sat in the window seat on his left, and saw that she was already fast asleep with her head leaning against the window, her neck pillow on her shoulders, mask over her eyes and a blanket wrapped around her like a burrito. "Wow, she wasn't kidding," Liam remarked.

"We should probably follow her lead. Even if it'll be night time when we land, there's no way any of us should try staying awake during this flight," Tim said. The lights dimmed as passengers settled down with their complimentary pillows and blankets, hoping to sleep past the long hours of the flight. Everyone slept silently and peacefully before being awoken hours later by the lights coming on followed by an announcement, signaling their descent. Everyone was still rather tired as they made their way through customs, baggage claim and finally to get a cab ride to Seamus' castle, during which everyone except Mavis' parents took the chance to get some extra Zs. When they finally arrived, they were all too tired to take in the sight of the enormous, rustic castle and adjacent lake before them. Instead, as quietly as they could, Mavis' parents led them all to their respective rooms in one of the castle's wings. No one even bothered unpacking or changing into pajamas and instead just crawled into bed.

The next morning, Mavis tiptoed into Liam's room and prepared to jump on the bed to wake him, only to find that the bed was still made and hadn't been slept in yet. "Huh?" she said out loud, wondering where he could be before casting her eyes up at the ceiling and getting her answer. Clinging to the ceiling as Liam, wrapped firmly in his wings. Mavis grinned evilly before quickly retreating to her room and returning, armed with a paintball gun. She took aim and fired three shots that hit Liam's wing directly.

"Ow! What the? Whoaaa!" he cried, releasing his grip on the ceiling in response to being hit by the paintballs and landing roughly on the floor. He groaned painfully and looked up to see Mavis standing over him with her paintball gun in hand resting on her shoulder. "Please don't do that again…"

"Oh I won't, as long as you don't sleep on the ceiling during the reunion. You never know when someone from my family might stumble in here and no doubt have many questions about you. In particular, why is he on the ceiling and why does he have wings?"

"Ok, fair point," Liam groaned, pushing himself off the carpeted floor and standing up. "I'll sleep in the bed like a normal human."

"Just for the trip and then when we get back home you can go back to sleeping on the ceiling like a bat. Now hurry up because it's almost time for breakfast and I wanna introduce you guys to everyone!" Once everyone else had awoken, Mavis led them down to the enormous dining room, where several people were gathered. Most of them were cramped at the large table that was filled with plates of food while others were running back and forth when dirty and clean plates while hyperactive children ran around the room screaming playfully. They were barely able to keep up with Mavis as she listed off each of her relatives by name before coming to the head of the table, where a large, rather chubby man with a thick beard and almost balding head sat.

"MAVY!" he beamed excitedly as he got up from his seat, picked Mavis up in his large arms and hugged her tightly.

"Uncle Seamus!" Mavis beamed happily back at him.

"Oh, I haven't seen ye since you were a wee littl' one!" Seamus bellowed deeply with a thick Irish accent.

"Uncle Seamus, you know that's not true! You saw me four years ago at the last reunion!"

"Ahaha, well you got me there! Now, who're these fine people?" Seamus asked.

"Oh, these are my best friends! Liam, Tim, Mala, Damon and Remy!" she introduced.

"Lovely t' meet you all!" he smiled, shaking each of their hands excitedly. "Great t' meet some of my littl' Mavy's friends! Come, come, sit!" he insisted, motioning for them to join him at the table. "I recommend eating while there's still food before Hurricane Mavis here goes through the whole pantry," he whispered to them. "I'm glad Mavy's friends were able to make it out here fer the reunion!" Seamus began speaking as they ate.

"Well, I figured, the more the merrier!" Mavis smiled.

"Haha, that's my girl!" Seamus smiled back. "But as I was saying, I'm more than happy t' have you all here! After we finish eatin', I'll take everyone on a castle tour, hm? Bet none of you got a chance to really see the whole interior when you got in last night."

"That sounds lovely Mr. Callahan," said Mala.

"Please, please, call me Seamus! So, what have you kids been up to so far? Summer break, right?"

"Um… various extracurricular activities," Liam stated.

"Keepin' out of trouble?"

"You could say that," Remy added.

Once they finished eating and moved away from the chaos that erupted in the dining room over last bits of food - largely instigated by the appropriately named "Hurricane Mavis" - Seamus led his niece and her friends through the large, open castle hallways, showing them every room, painting and piece of furniture that had even the slightest historical significance. "And this is the old Callahan family armory!" Seamus announced as he opened the door to a large, cold room filled with old weapons that looked nearly ancient.

"Wow!" they all said in awe.

"Ah ah ah! Mavy, you remember what happened with the crossbow at the last family reunion?" Seamus asked, giving his niece a stern look as he caught her reaching for a mounted crossbow.

"Hehe," she laughed nervously, "sorry Uncle Seamus."

"Who's that?" Tim asked, noticing an exquisite portrait of a middle-aged man with dark red hair and a beard mounted on the wall.

"Oh that? That's our ancestor Colonel Conall Callahan. Say that five times fast, am I right?" he dared.

"So what's his story?" Drago asked.

"Well, his story is fairly simple, really. He went off to fight in the war, but he died in battle. It's sad, but the even sadder story is with his wife, come along now," he said, leading them out of the armory to another portrait in the hallway, this time of a beautiful young woman with long black hair tied securely in a bun. "This was Conall's wife, Onora. Tragic, really. When she hadn't heard from Conall for a while, she wouldn't give up hope of him coming back home. But when she finally got the news that he had died in battle, she became so consumed with despair. She couldn't bear it so much that she threw herself in the lake and drowned," Seamus finished, shaking his head sadly.

"That's so sad," Mala commented.

"Indeed, but, there have been whispers since she took her own life that every four years, her ghost appears in the middle of the lake!" Seamus smiled excitedly.

"So I'm guessing it's not a coincidence that you have the Callahan family reunion every four years as well?" Tim asked.

"That's right laddy! When we started the whole family reunion thing, we decided to hold it every four years on the eve of Onora Callahan's death. We thought that if her spirit really did rise up on the lake every four years that she might be able to find some peace if she could see how close and happy her family is."

"Th-that's actually really sweet," Liam sniffed.

"Oh my god are you crying?" Drago asked, noticing the faint tears that were building up at his eyes.

"No!" Liam insisted, wiping the tears away and taking a deep breath. "I just appreciate when families want to be close is all."

All of a sudden, they heard a loud bell ringing from outside. "Oh! Sounds like it's time for the Callahan Paintball Tournament!"

"Paintball?" Remy asked.

"Is that why you had a paintball gun this morning?" Liam asked.

"Pfft, why else would I have a paintball gun. Honestly," Mavis said, rolling her eyes. When they all got outside, they saw a makeshift paintball battlefield made from piles of boxes that made up barriers. "All right, guys, gear up!" Mavis ordered, tossing them all green camouflage jumpsuits.

"Wait, what?" Tim asked, confused.

"Please tell me you're joking," Mala added.

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Mavis asked.

"Mavis, we are not your paintball team!" Remy argued.

"Of course not! You're better! That's kinda the other reason I invited you on the trip this time. You see, my cousins are absolutely useless behind a paintball gun. I shit you not, one of my cousins was so inept that he somehow managed to shoot himself in the back! To this day, I still don't know how he managed to do that. So, they're out, you're in!"

"And how exactly are we qualified to be a paintball team?" Liam asked.

"Uh, we hunt down evil demons and fight the forces of darkness on a regular basis?" she pointed out.

"But none of us have any firearm skills. I mean, I'm a swords guy, not guns!" Remy argued as well.

"Oh please, you throw daggers and knives like nobody's business. That goes for the lovebirds too, which makes you three are main sharpshooters. Tim's on strategy, Liam's our scout and I'm field commander. Now suit up!" Not seeing the point in arguing with Mavis, the five of them slipped into the camo jumpsuits as Mavis handed each of them protective goggles and helmets as well as their own paintball guns. "So, rules are pretty simple: you get hit, you're out. No friendly fire, last team standing wins aaaand," Mavis lowered her voice to a quiet whisper, "if you wanna use some demon magic, it's totally cool with me."

"Mavis, we are not using our powers to win a paintball tournament against your family," Mala said, not even shocked anymore that Mavis would even suggest such a thing.

"And I'm not suggesting that you do, I'm just saying if you want to, it's totally cool with me! Let's move!" Mavis ordered, signalling for her team to follow her into the paintball field.

"You ready to lose again, Mavis?" shouted a boy dressed in similar gear standing on the opposite end of the field.

"In your dreams, Devin!" Mavis shouted back before quickly turning back to her friends to add, "my cousin," to clarify. "Ok guys, I am not joking here. Devin beat me at the last family reunion and he's been rubbing it in my face since! Let's kick some butt!" When Seamus blew the airhorn, both teams quickly ducked out from behind their cover to fire on the opponents. "Tim! Find some cover for god's sake!"

"What?" Tim peeked over his cover so he could hear Mavis better only to get hit right in the middle of his visor. "Ow, I'm hit, I'm hit!" he cried before crawling out of the field.

"God dammit, Knight," Mavis muttered.

"Wow! I think that's a new record cousin!" Devin shouted from the other side of the field.

Mavis grumbled something under her breath before addressing the rest of her team. "Ok, Liam and I are gonna move up to the center. You three give us some cover fire."

"If I can! I can barely breath in this thing," Drago whined.

"Just point and shoot, hotshot." Mavis and Liam ducked and rolled behind covers as they advanced towards the middle. Along the way, Mala and Remy actually managed to take out two members on Devin's team. Unfortunately, the rest of them managed to take Remy, Mala and Drago out, leaving only Liam and Mavis.

"Looks like it's just you and me," Liam said, leaning against one of the covers.

"I'll see you on the other side," Mavis replied.

"What?"

"Sorry, the situation just demands classic movie quotes."

"How many are left?"

"Four, including Devin, but he's mine!"

"So what's the plan then?"

"Well, most of my plans usually only work for three people or more. So I guess just take out the other three and then we'll close in on Devin. They've got greater numbers so we can't let them box us in."

"Better than having no plan at all. I'll check to see their positions." Just as Liam poked his head out from behind the cover, his vision suddenly turned completely black, with the only thing he could see being blue skeletal figures. He cried out and shut his eyes tightly as he pulled himself back behind cover.

"What happened? Did you get hit?" Mavis asked, setting her paintball gun down as she examined his helmet, but saw no paint splatter. "What's wrong?"

"S-Something's wrong with me!" he cried. When he opened his eyes to look at Mavis, she was bright orange and yellow, as were himself and the people around them while everything else was a cool blue. He blinked again and his vision shifted back to the skeletal one.

"What is happening?" she asked again, her face full of worry.

"My vision...i-it's like I'm seeing things differently! I don't know how to explain it!"

"Ok, describe what you're seeing."

"Uh, well in one I can see right through solid objects and see skeletons and in the other everyone's yellow and orange. What?" he asked, seeing Mavis' jaw drop.

"Do you know what that is?" she asked.

"No?"

"It means you have x-ray and thermal vision!" she yelled, punching him excitedly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know I had it! Honest!" Liam quickly noticed an orange and yellow figure moving behind Mavis, so he quickly reached for his paintball gun and shot one of Mavis' cousins.

"Whoa, ok, new plan: you use your new kick ass vision powers and we dominate this bitch!"

"Uh, ok, I'm not sure how much control over this I have!" While Mavis was excited at the prospect of abusing Liam's newfound power, it was honestly huge ordeal for him. He felt disoriented, confused and completely overwhelmed! Every time he blinked, his vision would change between normal, x-ray and thermal and it made it difficult for him to focus on anything. But what plagued him most was the overall confusion he felt. Why was this happening? How even? Did he just suddenly gain these powers or were they only manifesting now? But more importantly, why?

Mavis could see that Liam was freaking out, so she quickly grabbed his shoulders and made him look at her. "Hey! Just take a deep breath and focus on one thing. Focus on me ok?" Liam gulped, but nodded, focusing his frantically moving eyes on Mavis' face as she hovered over him. Most of her face was hidden behind the goggles and helmet, but he could clearly see her bright blue eyes and adorable little freckles that lay across her cheeks. He instantly felt his cheeks get incredibly hot as he kept staring into Mavis' eyes. He remembered the first time Tim had introduced him to her. He had never seen freckles before in his entire life and he spent hours just looking at them, which Mavis certainly found creepy at first. She was the first girl he ever met that he actually felt comfortable and happy around. And sure some people were put off by her… eccentricities, but he loved it! He could hear his own heartbeat slowing down as his breathing calmed and before he even realized it, his vision had returned to normal. "Better?" she asked. He nodded. "Good, now let's give one of them a try," she urged gently. Liam closed his eyes and focused on the x-ray vision, and to his surprise, when he opened his eyes, he could see everyone as blue skeletons. He turned his head and looked through the barrier they hid behind and saw two figures advancing towards them.

"Two incoming!" he announced.

"That's my boy!" she smiled. The pair grabbed their paintball guns and quickly fired at their would-be attackers, leaving only them and Devin left in the game. "All right, let's get that smug assface!" Mavis charged towards the other end, followed closely by Liam, only to find that Devin was nowhere in sight. "Huh? Where'd he go?"

Liam quickly turned around and, using his new powers again, caught sight of Devin just as he came out from behind a barrier further back from where they had been hiding. He must have somehow managed to sneak past them while Liam was trying to get a hold of his new abilities. "Behind us!" he shouted, moving in front of Mavis to take Devin's shots as Mavis quickly countered with her own, hitting Devin right in the chest twice.

"HaHA! YES! OH YEAH! That's how it's done, son! Uh huh, oh yeah, WOO!" Mavis shouted loudly as her family cheered. She ran up to her cousin as he slouched and took off his helmet in defeat. All he could do was just stand there and frown as Mavis did an elaborate victory dance around him. As he walked away, she fired one last shot at his butt, causing him to yelp loudly.

"Was that really necessary?" Devin shouted.

"Considering you shot me in the boob last year? Uh, yeah!"

"I'm surprised you two managed to pull it off," Tim commented.

"What were you two doing down there for so long? Did you two finally start making out?" Mala asked with a mischievous grin, no doubt wanting to get back at Mavis for all the jokes she had been making about her and Drago.

"Pfft, no. Besides, if we were to make out, it would totally be upside down Spider-Man style. But that's not the point! Somebody here has got some new powers," Mavis grinned, giving Liam a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"What is she talking about?" Remy asked.

"Well, during the paintball fight, I-" Liam started, but Mavis interrupted him.

"Suddenly developed both x-ray AND thermal vision!"

"What?" they all cried.

"How is that possible?" Tim asked.

"Well…" Mala started, causing everyone to focus on her, "it's very common among Demon Sorcerers to possess secondary powers completely unrelated to their element, sorta like my mother's future seeing abilities. Think about your dad, Drago: what does animation, balance and shapeshifting have to do with the element of fire?"

"Hm, you make a good point," Drago admitted.

"Then is it possible for the child of a Demon Sorcerer to inherit those secondary powers?" asked Remy.

"Honestly, I thought they could only inherit the main elemental power, but I suppose it's entirely possible."

"So then which parent did you get the vision powers from?" Mavis asked.

"Honestly, I don't know. I never asked what their second powers were and they never told me."

"Well you clearly have it now, so what does it matter who you got it from?" Drago asked. Liam was about to argue that he didn't want to use a power he got from his father, but he knew the instant he thought that that it was hypocritical. In truth, he relied more on his shadow powers that the sound power he inherited from his mother. It wasn't a reflection of his preference for his father; his shadow powers just proved to be more versatile. He realized just because he had the same abilities as his father, it didn't mean that he was exactly like that monster.

"I guess you're right," he admitted. "I'll have to start training so I can master it. And hey, maybe I'll even find a few more vision powers that I didn't know I had!" In between Callahan reunion events and the large family meals they had during the rest of the day, Liam and his friends found some quiet moments to work on developing this new vision power of his. But, as far as they could tell, he only had the two he started with: x-ray and thermal. However, he still had some difficulty turning them on and off, making things a little disorienting for Liam when he had to interact with people during the reunion the rest of the day.

Just before they all turned to retire to their rooms, Mavis stopped them. "Whoa whoa whoa, where do you guys think you're going?"

"Bed, Mavis. Between the paintball tournament, pie eating contest and bull riding contest - I can't believe you guys actually have a mechanical bull by the way - we're beat," Tim answered.

"Yeah, we're sore and exhausted and we just really need some sleep," Mala yawned.

"Yeah and my back is killing me. That mechanical bull threw me into a tree after you put it on 'blender' mode and I spent ten minutes convincing them that nothing was broken!" Drago added.

"But you can't go to bed yet! It's time for the special camp out by the lake!" Mavis exclaimed.

"What are you talking about Mavis?" Remy asked.

"On the first night of every Callahan family reunion, uncle Seamus and I always camp out by the lake to wait for the ghost of Onora Callahan! And this year, you guys are gonna camp out with us!" All five of them groaned, desperate to get to a comfortable bed and rest but relented and followed Mavis out to a small campsite by the edge of the lake where Seamus was waiting for them with a roaring fire and sleeping bags.

"Oi, Liam where ya headin'?" Seamus asked, noticing Liam walk over to a nearby tree.

"Uh...I like to climb trees and hang upside down from them," he quickly made up, hoping Seamus would be satisfied with that response.

"Oh, all right then," he said, turning his attention back to the fire he was tending. While Liam effortlessly climbed the tree and hung upside down from one of the branches, everyone else sat around the campfire with Seamus. He went through the story of Onora Callahan with them again with some additional details while they all tiredly listened while roasting marshmallows.

"So do we just sit here all night?" Mala asked.

Mavis held up her hand and counted down from three with her fingers. Once she hit zero, Seamus snored loudly. "This would usually be the part where my dad comes out to get me and we take uncle Seamus back inside. But since you guys are here, we can stay out longer."

Noticing the fire dying down, Drago shot a thin stream of fire, reigniting the flame. Mala sharply struck his arm with the back of her hand, to which he replied, "What? He's asleep!" while pointing at the sleeping Seamus. "So any chance we'll get to see the Loch Ness Monster?"

"That's Scotland," Mavis noted.

"So of all the times you've done this, did you and your uncle ever actually see anything?" Remy asked.

"Nah, but it was never really about actually seeing Onora's ghost; it was just something special uncle Seamus and I did together, like he and my dad did with my grandad!"

"That's sweet. The only thing my dad and I did on a regular basis was try to kill each other, which we still do even now," Liam chuckled lightly.

"So you never actually saw any ghosts?" Drago asked.

"Not yet," she replied, hopeful.

"Ok, then what's that?" Tim asked, pointing towards the middle of the lake. A thick fog had formed over the lake in the night, but the group could just barely make out a slim, hooded figure hovering over the lake's surface. Everyone suddenly became alert and gathered around Tim to see where he was pointing as they all caught sight of the hooded figure in the distance.

Liam dropped down from the tree and blinked, activating his x-ray vision. He could see a skeleton in the distance where the hooded figure was, but when he switched to his thermal vision, the figure was as blue as the environment. "There's definitely something out there, but it can't be human; it's not giving off any thermal energy."

"Then what is it?" Mala asked. Just as those words left Mala's mouth, the figure from the lake shot towards them, skimming across the surface of the lake and hovering over them as the waters settled. Now that it was closer, they were able to get a good look at the figure. For the most part, it looked like a person covered completely in a ragged and torn red cloak with the hood completely obscuring the face. From the slim figure, they could figure it was a female and almost human-looking, except for the pale, dark blue tone of her exposed arms and bony fingers. The mist suddenly grew thicker and denser around the being as she suddenly let out a piercing and shrill screech. Everyone quickly covered their ears, but that did little to block out the painful sound of her cries. Without another thought, Liam opened his mouth and let out a sonic scream of his own right back at her, the force of it knocking her back as she fled.

"What the hell was that thing?" Drago shouted.

"It's definitely not human," Liam commented.

"Thank you Captain Obvious! That was obviously a banshee," Mavis noted.

"What makes you say that?" Remy asked.

"Uh, raggedy lady spirit with a loud screech attack? Plus we're in Ireland! Ergo: Banshee!"

"Well, you can't argue with that logic," Tim remarked sarcastically. All six of them turned around when they heard Seamus yawn loudly as he woke up.

"Sorry kids, I must have dozed off… Anything interesting happen while I was out?" he asked, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

"Uhhh, nope!" they all insisted.

"Well, look at the time! We all best be going to bed, come on now!" he said, picking up the fold up chair he had fallen asleep in and putting the fire out.

"Ok, here's the deal," Mavis whispered to her friends. "After uncle Seamus hits the hay, we gotta track down that banshee!"

"Wow, I thought you would have just chosen to ignore it," Tim chuckled.

"Are you kidding? This is a classic cartoon scenario! We witness the unleashing of a mystical creature and it's our job as fixer uppers of magical problems to fix this mess and make sure that banshee doesn't cause any trouble!" Mavis argued.

"Ok, once we get Seamus back to the castle, we'll split up and search around for that banshee," Liam said.

* * *

**Man, I would love to be at the Callahan family reunion. Some crazy shit would go on there XD**

**Next chapter: The Shadow Strikers try to solve the mystery of the Banshee, but find their task more difficult when Hou Yi and Jun Bing appear!**


	8. The Curse of the Banshee

**Man oh man guys, I am just getting more and more excited about getting to the end of this story. Not that I want it to be over, it's just... oh man, we've got a lot planned for the end :3 and more! :3 x2**

**Oh, also if you guys need a visual for the banshee, imagine the banshee as it appears in the Fable series. Since it's such a minor thing, I might not get around to actually drawing the banshee so just use that as a visual reference.**

* * *

"Ok guys, uncle Seamus is asleep and we've got a banshee on the loose," Mavis whispered after she carefully and silently shut the door to Seamus' bedroom.

"Great, but how are we gonna find a banshee?" Remy asked.

"Hang on," Liam said, holding up his hand to quiet his friends. He closed his eyes and focused his ears on the sounds around him. "Got it. She's causing some mayhem a few miles south of here. Eh, and she's screaming something fierce," he groaned, rubbing his ears.

"A few miles south? There's a small town there. We passed by it on the way up to the castle," Mavis explained.

"Well then the people there are in for a rude awakening," Drago remarked.

All six of them sharply turned their heads when they heard someone yawn. "Mavis? What are you guys doing up?" Sean walked up to them, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

"Uh… Sean! What are you doing up?" Mavis said nervously.

"I heard you guys talking. What's going on?" he asked.

"Um, nothing Sean. Why don't you go back to sleep?"

"But I have to go to the bathroom and I'm thirsty," he complained sleepily.

"Well there's your problem, you keep topping off the tank!"

"Mavis, just take him to get some water and put him back to bed," Tim whispered.

"Fine fine fine," she conceded, taking Sean's hand and leading him to the kitchen.

"You guys go on ahead. I'll wait for Mavis," Liam said.

"All right, but don't take too long. Demons and dark wizards are one thing, a spirit right out of mythology is another," Mala said as Mala led Sean away.

"What's the difference? It's nothing we can't handle," Drago boasted.

"Mala does have a point. Everything we know and what we've fought have all been demons and magic that we have experience with. We don't have any experience dealing with real ghosts and spirits!" Tim added.

"Then we'll just have to learn as we go," Remy said, "Speaking of which, we should head out. We can't afford to let that thing cause any more damage than it already has."

"You guys go ahead. I'll join up with you when Mavis gets back," Liam said. The others nodded before heading off. About two minutes later, Mavis and Sean finally came back and Mavis spent nearly another minute putting Sean back to bed. "Say what you will, Mavis, you're a good big sister," he complimented.

"Trust me, it's not all sunshine and rainbows."

"I actually kinda always wanted a sibling. It got pretty lonely in the Netherworld, even with mom and An. Although, I suppose the only thing that would have made having a sibling bad is if they turned out like my dad and the world doesn't need another Tzan Ren running around."

"I hear ya. Where'd everyone else go?" she asked.

"They went ahead after the banshee."

"And you stuck around so I wouldn't have to walk. Good man! Let's go!" Mavis cried, pulling Liam behind her. When they got outside, Liam transformed into his demon form, lifted Mavis into his arms and took flight after their friends.

From a small hilltop not too far away, Hou Yi crouched under a tree with Hei and An sitting behind her and watched as Linos flew off. "Hmm…" she hummed, narrowing her eyes at Linos and his female companion. Hou Yi had noticed that Linos had often been around the non-demon female. Perhaps there was something between the two, something more. But what Hou Yi saw more than anything was a potential weakness to exploit.

"What are you doing?" Hou Yi sharply turned around when she heard Jun come up behind her.

"Recon. It is what rangers do and as their commander I-"

"Former commander," Jun corrected her, "Do you already forget your demotion? What did you learn?"

"The master's spawn, I believe he has a strong attachment to the human female. She is his weakness."

"And?"

"And what? She is just a weak human! She is the weakness that we can exploit! All we have to do is get our hands on her and-"

"No," Jun interrupted her a second time.

"What?" she cried, shocked.

"We are not here to kidnap humans; we are here to secure the Signs. Once the master regains them all he may decide what becomes of the humans. While you were off gathering irrelevant information, I've determined where our goal lies."

"And that is?" Hou Yi asked, venom dripping in her tone towards Jun.

"The children are moving south."

"I thought that they weren't our concern?" Hou Yi asked condescendingly.

"They are not. It is what they are pursuing that is of our concern," Jun explained as he looked back at the lake behind them. "The creature that emerged from the lake holds one of the Signs."

"Then why are we standing here?" she asked, growing impatient.

"I'm beginning to see why the master demoted you. You have skill and potential, yes, but it is undone by your carelessness and rash attitude."

"What?"

"I believe the human term 'tunnel vision' is a fitting description."

"And what does that mean?"

"It means you are so focused on a single goal that you fail to see other perspectives and views. That is why you fail. Why engage the spirit and the children simultaneously when we can simply wait for them to engage each other? Either the spirit will overpower them or they will overpower the spirit. Whatever the outcome, one party will remain weakened, perhaps both even from exhaustion. That will be the moment we move in and take them by surprise."

"What? Not going to duel your slayer friend?" Hou Yi remarked.

"Not tonight," Jun answered. "Come, we must maintain a close proximity to them, but not so close that we are discovered."

* * *

By the time Mavis and Linos caught up to the rest of their friends, they had managed to chase the Banshee away from the town and into the wilderness back towards the lake she had emerged from. Mala sent small crystal shards towards the banshee while Remy threw one of his sun blades. In response, the banshee let out a dreadful wail towards them, knocking back Remy's blade and shattering Mala's crystals. The banshee turned her head and continued her wail, striking Mala with it directly. Mala raised her arms to try and shield herself from the full force of the scream, but the sheer force of the sonic scream shattered her crystal armor, reverting her to her human form. Linos jumped in front of Mala and unleashed his own sonic scream to cancel out the banshee's as Drago came up behind Mala and caught her just before she fell to the ground.

"Mala! You ok?" he asked, holding her in his arms.

"Y-yeah," she panted, "I'm fine."

"I thought you said sound waves don't bother you anymore!"

"Only man-made ones! Magically induced sound waves still affect me and I guess a banshee counts in that regard."

"We've gotta get her out of the air. She's at too much of an advantage up there!" Remy cried. He pulled out a long chain and threw it into the air. The chain wrapped firmly around the banshee, binding her arms. Despite Remy's hold on the chain, the banshee jerked around, trying to break free. "Ah!" Remy cried as the banshee pulled him forward, dragging him along the ground as she tried to fly away. When he was sure Mala was fine, Drago ran up to help Remy, grabbing the chain and digging his talons into the ground.

"I've got her!" Linos cried, taking flight towards the bound banshee. However, just as he got close, the banshee turned to face him and Linos was suddenly blown back by a large, powerful jet of water that shot out from the banshee. Linos gasped loudly as the jet struck him. The force of the water knocked him back all the way down to the ground and he crashed into Remy and Drago. The chain binding the banshee slacked and she broke free, flying off past the lake.

"Eh! I hate water!" Drago shouted, trying to shake the water off him.

"How did she even do that?" Remy cried. "Are banshees able to control water?" he asked Mavis.

"Uh, no, pretty sure it's just the wailing," she replied.

"Then how do you explain what just happened?" Mala asked, weakly walking up to them.

"I know what caused it," Linos spoke up.

"What?" they all asked him.

"I only caught a glimpse of it, but I know what I saw. Right at the clasp of her hood was a Sign."

"A Sign? You're sure?" Tim asked.

"Yeah."

"Then which one is it?" Drago asked.

"Really? Big jet of water? It's obviously Aquarius!" Mavis exclaimed.

"Hey, give me a break. I don't follow the Greek horoscope!" Drago argued.

"You know, this is actually starting to make sense," Mala commented.

"How so?" Tim asked.

"Well, banshees are the spirits of deceased women that haven't been able to pass on to the afterlife, right?" she asked as Mavis nodded. "Going from that, we can assume that whoever the banshee was in life must have died a long time ago."

"So?" Linos asked.

"So why did her spirit rise up only now? I think that the presence of a magical artifact like the Sign must have reawakened her spirit somehow," Mala explained.

"You mean like that time we were in that 'haunted' mansion," Drago said with air quotes.

"What happened now?" Mavis asked.

"Well, back when I was still… a bad guy," Drago struggled to say, "I tracked one of my uncle's Demon Chi to this old mansion tourist attraction that was supposedly haunted. While we were there, strange things in the mansion started happening."

"Like what?" asked Remy.

"Like suits of armor coming alive, furniture moving on its own and one of the walls swallowing me up!"

"The presence of three demonic auras and magic awoke the spirits that resided in that mansion. The same must have happened with the banshee when the Aquarius Sign ended up here," Mala added.

"But the Sign must have been here for a few months now. Why didn't the banshee appear then?" Remy asked.

"Maybe the presence of three demons amplified magical aura of the Sign?" Mala suggested.

"I suppose that does make a great deal of sense. The greater presence of magic, the greater effect it has on the surrounding area and any supernatural aspects in that surrounding," Tim concluded.

"So if the banshee is just being powered by the Aquarius Sign, getting it away from her should make it go away, right?" Linos asked.

"Possibly. But either way, we want to get that Sign away from her," Mala concurred.

Without another word, they made off after the banshee and found her hovering over the same lake from which she had emerged. A blue light emanated from her upper chest as water from the lake rose up and moved around her in circles. Her tormented and pained wails echoed through the sky and it was a wonder that nobody in the Callahan castle could hear it. Linos and Mala flew up towards the banshee, but as they got close to her, she waved her arms and set jets of water towards them. Though Linos managed to dodge a few times, just as he got close enough to reach his hand out and grab the Sign, a stream of water erupted from the face of the Sign and the force of the water threw him back. Mala sliced through the third stream of water that came towards her and continued her advance. But instead of attacking her with another stream of water, the banshee let out another wailing cry, once again throwing Mala back and shattering her demon form. With no crystal wings to support her, Mala quickly began to fall. But before she hit the surface of the water, Linos caught her in his arms and carried her to the shore where the rest of their friends stood.

"It's no use. I can't get close to her with all that water she's using!" Linos shouted angrily.

"And even if I get close enough, that scream of hers completely destroys my demon form!" Mala added.

"And my fire power is practically useless now. How are we supposed to stop her!" Drago barked.

"How else do you stop an angry ghost?" Remy asked.

"Well, short of getting our hands on four proton packs, if we can't overpower her then I guess the only thing we can do it appease her!" Mavis suggested.

"Appease? How will that help?" Drago asked.

"When a ghost is still in the physical plain, it's usually because they've got unfinished business or are still holding on to something and can't pass on. It's like in Jade Empire - which is an awesome game by the way," Mavis started, only to get back on topic when her friends glared at her. "But that's not the point. Basically, in the game, ghosts kept rising up and attacking people. You get a quest in this graveyard to deal with three ghosts and you could deal with them in one of two ways: beat them up and force them back down for a bit, or bring them peace so they can pass on happily."

"And you want us to take ghost advice from a video game?" Tim cried.

"Wouldn't be the first time!" Mavis argued back.

"We may not be experts on ghost, but I think the logic is pretty sound," Mala said. "If overpowering her isn't work, then it's worth a shot."

"But how do we figure out how to appease her?" Remy asked. "We don't even know who she was in life!"

"Actually, I might have a solution for that! Banshees are usually the spirits of women who have died, right? Well, how many women do you know that killed themselves in the same lake that the banshee happened to emerge from?"

"Onora Callahan? You think that banshee is the spirit of your ancestor?" Tim asked.

"Come on, it makes sense! Onora threw herself in the lake and drowned when she found out her husband had died! Emotional grief right there!"

"Then if Onora's still carrying that grief from her husband dying, how are we supposed to appease that?" Remy asked.

"But that's the thing, Conall Callahan didn't die! They misidentified the body as his and made a mistake. But Onora didn't find out soon enough so when Conall got back, he heard about Onora's suicide," Mavis explained.

"And how are we going to prove that? I doubt she's just going to take our word for it!" Drago argued.

"Hm… good point. I'll be right back!" Mavis shouted, running off back to her family's castle. Mavis loudly burst into the castle before quickly remembering that she had to be quiet. But she didn't have time to dilly dally or tip-toe her way through the castle. So, with as light footsteps as possible, Mavis made her way down the hall to one of the large storage rooms. When she opened the door, she saw stacks of furniture and covered paintings propped up against the wall. "Come on, I know you're here somewhere… family journals, family journals…" Mavis muttered to herself as she lightly ran her finger over the line up of old books on one of the many bookshelves in the room. "Ah, here we go, 'The Final Accounts of Conall Callahan'," she read aloud. With the old journal in hand, Mavis ran out of the castle and back to her friends who were still gathered at the lakeside, unable to do anything about the banshee that still raged above them.

"What's that?" Mala asked.

"It's Conall Callahan's last diary before he died. We've got a butt load of old diaries from Callahan ancestors. I used to go in there and read them, especially Gertrude Callahan's account of how she tracked and killed the Dullahan!"

"What's a Dullahan?" Drago asked.

"It's like the Headless Horseman, except Irish."

"Mavis, there's no such thing as a Dullahan," Tim groaned.

"Course there isn't. Not anymore, at least. Not since Gertrude Callahan killed it! But anyway, I figured if Onora could see something that he wrote dated after the letter she got about his death, then she'd know he didn't really die!" Mavis said, opening the diary.

"It's worth a shot," Linos said as he took the diary from Mavis, keeping his finger on the page she had opened to. Using his Sound Demon Chi, Linos projected his voice loudly enough for the banshee to hear him as he began to read the faded words on the page. "'As I sit here with what I imagine to be only seconds left until I die, my thoughts drift to my beloved Onora. Onora, how I wish you were still here with me. Everyday since I returned home only to learn of your suicide, I have cursed myself. If I had been more vigilant, if I had only sent my letter to you sooner, perhaps you would still be here. I only hope that we may be reunited soon my love.'" Before Linos could begin reading the next sentence, he was suddenly blown back by the banshee's sonic scream, dropping the journal in the process. The banshee quickly appeared before them and Drago, Mala and Remy quickly readied themselves to fight. "Wait!" Linos called, holding his arms out in front of them to stop them. They all watched as the banshee - ignoring them - focused on the fallen journal and carefully picked it up. They couldn't see her face beneath the hood she wore, but if they had to guess, it looked like they were glued to the same page Linos had read from.

Suddenly, she dropped the book and let out a mournful cry that was filled with despair. Everyone covered their ears as she screamed and a white light began shining from the middle of her chest. The light became so bright that everyone was forced to look away. When it finally died down, they opened their eyes and no longer saw a skeletal, hooded spirit, but instead a transparent woman with long black hair in a flowing white dress. They looked at this beautiful ghostly woman with wide eyes full of surprise while she simply smiled at the warmly and whispered, "Thank you."

"Hey… what's that?" Mavis asked pointing to another ghostly figure approaching them from across the lake. Onora turned around and saw the figure, a young man, before hovering over to greet the figure. The ghostly pair said nothing as they embraced each other gently but tightly before slowly fading away.

"Ok…" Remy started as everyone just stared blankly at what happened.

"Uh, hello? We obviously brought peace to her spirit and she reunited with Conall's ghost," Mavis pointed out.

"Sure, ok," Linos nodded. "Hey, look!" Everyone looked down to the ground in front of them where Linos was pointing, where they saw the Aquarius Sign. Just as he reached down to grab it, black flames erupted between him and the Sign, causing everyone to jump back. An Gou suddenly appeared and grabbed the Sign in her mouth before dashing back up to a hilltop where Hou Yi stood with Hei Gou. "Hou Yi!"

"Thanks for doing all the hard work, little bat," she laughed, triumphantly holding the Aquarius Sign in her hand. "Nah-ah-ah!" she cautioned them, drawing her bow with three arrows when she noticed Linos getting ready to attack her. "As much as I would love to fight you today, I'm afraid you'll be busy doing something else." Hei Gou opened his mouth and breathed black flames onto the tips of Hou Yi's arrows. She raised her arms back and fire the arrows directly into the Callahan castle. The flames began to quickly spread and were only exacerbated when Hou Yi commanded her dark wind to fan the flames. "So what will it be? Save your pathetic human companions or fight me for the Sign and let them burn," Hou Yi narrowed her eyes at them maliciously and cackled.

Linos growled at her under his breath as shadows swirled around him until he felt a hand grab his shoulder. He looked over his shoulder and saw Mavis with an incredibly worried expression on her face. Linos was nearly taken aback by the look on her face; he had never seen her look that worried before. He glanced back towards Mavis' family's castle and could see the flames on the exterior growing with every second as the flames spread more and more. He glared back to Hou Yi, who simply smirked back at him, before turning away and heading back to the castle with his friends.

Jun emerged from behind Hou Yi as the pair watched Linos and his friends return to deal with the burning castle. "What were you thinking?"

"I was securing our victory," Hou Yi remarked back, showing off the Aquarius Sign.

"Through dishonorable means," Jun spat.

"Dishonorable? What does honor have to do with any of this? Our job is to serve Tzan Ren and secure his victory and domination of this world by any means necessary!"

"Hmph, what good is a victory if it was achieved dishonorably? Every warrior I've fought, I battled fairly and honorably. I may have had the chance to endanger innocent bystanders to gain the upper hand, but I never did."

"And I'm sure you lost those matches, clinging to your illusions of honor!"

"I never lose," he replied seriously. "At least I have a code, something I live my life by of my own choosing. What do you have?" he asked, but continued speaking before she could throw an insult back to him. "You have nothing. You are nothing but a sad little puppy blindly following her master's orders in hopes of praise and approval. You live by nothing of your own choosing and that is why you fail." Jun roughly seized the Sign from her and held it out towards the lake. The Sign's face began glowing brightly as water rose from the lake. Jun carefully moved the water over the castle and commanded the water to slowly rain over it, dousing the flames that burned.

"Compassion will get us nowhere in this!" Hou Yi barked.

"Despite what you may think, I do not share your and master's desire for domination. I am simply a sword seeking worthy opponents and a warrior's end."

When they returned to the Netherworld, Hou Yi presented the Sign to Tzan Ren, smiling under her hood as she prepared to receive her long awaited praise. "Excellent work, Hou Yi. For once, you did not disappoint me," Tzan Ren said in a surprisingly pleasant tone as a shadowy tendril from his body took the Sign from her hands. "What? Th-this is the wrong one!" he shouted. "What am I to do with a Sign that controls water!"

"Master, I apologize! We were unable to determine which Sign it was until it was in our possession," Hou Yi replied quickly, trying to reason with her superior.

"But we were at least able to acquire one of them, making one less for the light demon and your son," Jun Bing jumped in.

"Hm… I suppose. You make an excellent point Jun. One less Sign for them is an advantage, even if a small one. I see that your skill is improving slightly under Jun's tutelage, Hou Yi. Continue on this path and I may reinstate you as the commander of my rangers."

Under her hood, Hou Yi scowled. She hated having to answer to Jun. He had always been a pain in her neck and a thorn in her side. She had been serving under Tzan Ren far longer than any of the commanders. She was Tzan Ren's prized pupil; she excelled at everything and always received his praise. But then Jun came along. She had been the first one to discover Jun just wandering along on his own. She had drawn back her bow at him, threatening to fire since he was trespassing on Shadow Legion territory. He ignored her warnings, so she attacked, but with incredible speed she had never witnessed, he sliced through her arrows and took her down. Tzan Ren witnessed the whole thing and, intrigued by the newcomer that took down his right hand, invited Jun in. Hou Yi seethed with fury and jealousy the entire time they spoke. She wasn't able to hear everything but when Tzan Ren addressed them, he introduced Jun to his main forces as their new commander and his new right hand. In an instant, she had been replaced by this… this newcomer, this stranger that they knew nothing about. All of a sudden, Tzan Ren's focus and attention had shifted from her to Jun. She wasn't the best anymore. Instead this swordsman and the only one to reject one of Tzan Ren's shadow elements dethroned her. She held nothing but contempt and resent towards him and he knew it.

"Thank you, master," she replied, holding in her rage towards Jun. "I think it would be interesting for you to know, master that I took the opportunity to take care of civilian allies of one of the friends of your troublesome son, but Jun used the Aquarius Sign and undid my work." Hou Yi smirked at Jun, knowing he was in for a scolding.

"Interesting, and why would you do that, Jun?" Tzan Ren asked, looming over Jun. Hou Yi snickered, excitedly awaiting to see Jun finally get what he deserved. But to her surprise, he looked extremely calm.

"I was simply thinking in your best interest, master," he said with a courteous bow, "It is your intention to rule the human world, is it not? The more human casualties that occur during the course of our mission, the less humans you will have serving you. I was only looking out for your interests." Jun turned towards Hou Yi and subtly sent that smirk right back at her.

"Yes, very good, Jun," Tzan Ren complimented.

Jun walked past Hou Yi and stopped as their backs faced each other. "Nice try, Hou Yi. Do not forget which of us is the superior one."

* * *

**Man, I did not expect to end the chapter this way, but it just felt so right to dive a little further into Hou Yi and Jun's relationship. They definitely do not like each other. And it's about time for the bad guys to get a Sign. Can't have the heroes win every time, right? Otherwise it'd be boring :P**

**So, who are you rooting for: Hou Yi or Jun Bing? Sadly Wei Gong isn't getting as much attention. But judging by how quiet you guys are with regards to him, I'm guessing it's not a problem. But there is a reason for that: Wei's the opposite of inconspicuous. And subtlety is key to the Shadow Legion's operations. So we'll be saving Wei Gong for more appropriate situations. But if you ask me, I think Hou Yi and Jun are sufficient so far :) but that might just be cuz I really love them. **

**Next chapter: **Remy vs Jun ROUND 2! FIGHT!


	9. A Test of Balance

**So I kinda got inspired with how I ended the last chapter and decided to expand on that. So, rather than starting the chapter with the Shadow Strikers like I normally do, I did a little something different. So I hope you guys like it!**

* * *

Deep in the empty abyss of the Demon Netherworld, a young, female demon dashed across the plains, zigzagging as she went as if she were dodging attacks from an enemy before pulling out her bow and striking makeshift targets set up around her. Within seconds, each targets was struck dead center with her arrows. Hou Yi stood up straight and admired her work before smiling to herself in content. It would be getting late soon and she would have to return to her master. She never had a habit of being late and she certainly didn't want to start one now. She retrieved the arrows from her practice dummies and placed them back in her quiver before heading back towards her master. After a few steps, she came to a stop and froze while looking around from the corner of her eyes. She could sense that someone was present, but she couldn't tell who. Without another second, Hou Yi whipped around and immediately drew back her bow. "Who goes there?" she called. Across from her she could see a tall figure with a long black cloak, long dark hair and two curved horns sprouting from the side of his head. "You are trespassing on Shadow Legion territory! Turn back now!" she warned.

"Shadow… Legion?" she heard the figure mutter, but whether it was out of confusion or a request for clarification she couldn't be sure.

"Turn back before I put my arrow between your eyes!"

The figure seemed to ignore her and instead scanned the environment around him as if he had never been here before. Hou Yi certainly didn't recognize him, so he must have been new. Suddenly, he sharply turned his head back to her, matching her glare with one of his own before speaking in a serious tone, "You are welcome to try."

Hou Yi growled under her breath as she released her arrow, sending it right towards the interloper. But before it could strike him, the arrow instead fell to the ground, sliced in two across the shaft. Hou Yi gasped in shocked as she say her arrow on the ground. She had never missed a shot before.

"How did you-" she started, but stopped when she noticed the sword that was now in his hands. It gave off a strange energy and the silver dots across the dark blue blade appeared to move slowly like stars in a galaxy. "You'll pay for that!" Hou Yi shouted, loading another arrow onto her bow. She fired again and a third time with two arrows, but they all met the same fate. Frustrated, Hou Yi charged straight towards him, ready to strike him with her bow. But before she could make contact, the male demon grabbed the bow from her hands and used the momentum from her rush attack to push her to the ground on his left. She quickly turned back up to face him, glaring at him viciously while he simply looked back at her with a blank, uninterested expression.

Before Hou Yi could open her mouth and fire an insult at him, the two heard someone clapping nearby. They both looked to the source of the clapping and saw a dark purple demon in brown and gold armor casually leaning against a rock. "Quite an impressive show," he complimented.

"M-master! I was just about to deal with this intruder!" Hou Yi insisted, immediately standing up straight at attention.

"Stand down, Dark Archer," he said, holding his hand up at Hou Yi. "My name is Tzan Ren, though I am better known as the Shadow Demon Sorcerer. What might your name be?" he asked, addressing the interloper.

The demon said nothing at first, only looking at Tzan Ren and analyzing him before speaking. "I am called Jun Bing."

"And where do you come from, Jun?"

"It does not matter. I concern myself with the future, not the past," Jun answered.

"Hm, well put," Tzan Ren said, impressed with Jun's response. "Then tell me, what brings you into my territory?"

"I did not know I was entering your territory. My apologies for the intrusion," Jun bowed.

"Quite all right, quite all right. You skill was most impressive. I've never seen anyone deflect Hou Yi's arrows before," Tzan Ren said, casting a disappointed look to her as he spoke. "Who is your master?"

"I have no master," Jun replied.

"No master? That is impossible. All demons serve a sorcerer. What is your element?"

"I have none."

"No master and no element? You are quite the enigma, Jun Bing. So if you have no master to follow, what is it you do?"

"I walk and I fight. I search for worthy opponents against whom I can test my skills. I have battled many brave and honorable warriors, but none have defeated me."

"That's quite the assertion. If I may ask, what would you say if I were to challenge you?" Tzan Ren asked, materializing a large orange broadsword in his hand.

"Honor would demand that I accept," Jun replied, holding his sword at the ready. Both demons got into a battle ready position, waiting for the other to make a move so they could expertly counter it. As if the two were reading each other's minds, they both leapt forward, charging with their blades held high. Each delivered a strike with their sword, only for the other to block it and counter, which was also blocked. Their arms moved at such speed and intensity that the whole thing looked like a blur. Their swords clashed once more as both tried their best to push the other off. Tzan Ren smirked and snapped his fingers, causing shadow tendrils to rise up from the ground beneath Jun and wrap around his legs and tail. Jun saw this and pushed Tzan off him before sending a stream of starbolts at him, knocking the shadow demon back.

"Master!" Hou Yi cried, rushing to help him.

"Stay back!" he ordered. Tzan Ren stood back up and snapped his fingers again, commanding the shadows to release Jun. "You are full of surprises, Jun Bing and your skill is undeniable. Come, join me for a drink?" Tzan Ren offered. Hou Yi stared at the scene before her in shock. Her master was inviting a complete stranger into their territory! He could be a spy for one of the other sorcerer's or an assassin! Either way, she wasn't going to let this newcomer out of her sight. They made it back to the center of Tzan Ren's territory where the remnants of his old palace still stood. Hou Yi followed her master and the newcomer up the stairs to his private quarters, but Tzan Ren stopped her from going in with them. "This is a private matter, Hou Yi, you are not needed." With that, he shut the door in her face, leaving her standing there with a stunned expression.

Not needed? He couldn't be serious! She was his right hand; she was always by his side but now he didn't need, didn't want her there? She had never questioned her master's judgement before, but why on earth wouldn't he allow her to be present? What could they possibly be talking about that he didn't want her to hear? Leaving the door, Hou Yi quietly crept to the back wall of the room, hoping to eavesdrop on the conversation. She managed to peek through a small hole in the wall and watched as the two demons sat opposite from each other. She could just pick up the sound of them speaking, but couldn't make out all the words. Suddenly, she felt something small grab onto her left leg. She looked down and saw a tiny little demon with light brown skin, dark hair and little wings on his back. The infant smiled up at her and cooed while Hou Yi simply scowled in response. "Get off me!" she shouted, shaking the infant roughly off her leg. The infant fell back and looked up at her with sad, teary eyes and began crying. Hou Yi quickly covered her ears, trying to block out the child's intense wailing. "Rgh, silence that infernal wailing!" she shouted again, but it only made the child cry more.

All of a sudden, Hou Yi was roughly pushed to the ground by something behind her. Whatever it was, it stayed perched on top of her back, pinning her to the ground in front of the infant, whose cries finally ceased at the sight of the person in front of him. "What do you think you're doing?" the voice hissed.

"I...I…" Hou Yi stammered, unable to find the words as Hsian Ji, the Sound Demon Sorceress and her master's wife hovered over her.

"My son is far too inquisitive for his own good, always wandering off on his own. I won't punish him for his curiosity, but I don't mind punishing you. You see, at first, I found his incessant wailing an annoyance. My sensitive hearing could always pick it up. Let me give you some advice, Hou Yi, should you and Tso Lan decide to take the next step in your association: never bedevil a mother's child."

"I-I didn't know he was yours, I swear!" Hou Yi cried, pleading for her life.

"It shouldn't matter who the mother is. How would you like the last thing you hear before you die be my voice?"

"N-no, not the death song, please! Wh-what about your son?" Hou Yi cried desperately.

"Oh, he'll be just fine, as will I. You see, I can form a sound barrier around us and everyone else here to ensure that you are the only one who will hear it. I'm sure my husband won't miss you. From what I hear, you're already being replaced. So what will it be? My death song or a humble apology to my son?"

"I-I'm sorry!" she wailed.

"Now say it to my son," Hsian Ji said, lifting Hou Yi's head up to face the infant Linos with her clawed foot.

"I'm sorry…" she muttered. This was absolutely humiliating: being made to apologize to a crying child of all things. If Tzan Ren had been here instead, he would had just yelled at the child until it ceased crying. He would have sided with her and not make her apologize!

"Very good, Hou Yi," Hsian Ji complimented contemptuously. She stepped off Hou Yi and strolled over to her baby. As she bent down to pick him up with her small wings, Linos raised his arms in response, reaching out for her. She cradled Linos in her arms and smiled happily at the giggling infant before turning back to Hou Yi. "Stay away from my son, Hou Yi, or the consequences will be most dire." Hsian Ji opened her large wings wide and with a single beat, took off into the air. Hou Yi stared after her in awe before hesitantly pushing herself off the ground. She had seen Hsian Ji around before several times, usually at her husband's side, but never had she actually interacted with Hsian Ji personally. And since she had their child, Hsian Ji was often off on her own, raising the child while Tzan Ren remained to command his forces.

Hou Yi turned sharply to her left when she heard a low, hysterical laugh. Only a few feet from her stood Wei Gong, his head only coming to her waist. "That was hilarious Hou Yi! Seeing the face you made when Hsian Ji threatened to kill you? Hahaha!"

"Shut up, you little imp!" Hou Yi spat. "I am your superior and you will speak to me with respect!"

"Respect? I think you should learn to respect someone superiorly skilled," Wei said back in a serious tone. Drawing in the earth and soil all around them into his body, Wei suddenly grew to more than twice her height.

"Grow all you want, Wei! I still know that beneath all those rocks you're nothing but a pathetic little imp," she narrowed her eyes are him with a determined glare, refusing to back down despite his attempt to intimidate her.

The pair were drawn out of their standoff at the sound of Tzan Ren addressing his troops back at the entrance to the palace room. "Shadow Legion, allow me to introduce your new commander, Jun Bing the Swordmaster," Tzan Ren announced proudly. "He will take command of the main forces and infantry. I expect you all to treat him with the same respect and loyalty as you do me."

Hou Yi practically seethed with anger and jealousy as she recalled that memory. It took her years of training and loyal service before she was promoted to the position of Commander of the rangers. But this newcomer… they had only known him less than a day and within the span of one sparring match and a single conversation, he was already named Commander? He wasn't even part of the Shadow Legion! She had been part of the ranks for more than half of her life and it still took her years to get to where she was now. This outsider didn't deserve the status he was getting so easily. And now here she was taking orders from him.

"What?" she snapped at Jun when she heard him shout her name. The two of them were crouched beneath a large archway, one of many in a large, circular stone structure. It gave them a perfect view of the streets below.

"Did you hear what I said?" Hou Yi didn't answer, unwilling to admit that she wasn't paying attention. But despite her efforts, Jun seemed to pick up on this and proceeded to berate her for it anyway. "If you keep letting your thoughts wander, master will never reinstate you as a commander."

"I don't need you to lecture me!"

"Master clearly disagrees. Look," he said, pointing down below to a group of humans below. "They've arrived. You and the hounds should be more than enough to handle them, yes?"

"What? While you go gallivanting off to retrieve the Sign and deliver it to master and receive all the glory?"

"I'll be more than happy to cite your contribution in single-handedly holding off his son and his son's friends. Unless, you think you can't handle it?"

Hou Yi narrowed her eyes at him and muttered, "I can handle it."

"Good, then go." The last thing Hou Yi wanted was to take orders from him, but she kept quiet and dashed off. However, Jun grabbed her arm before she could leave and whispered to her in a serious tone, "no civilian casualties, understand?" Instead of responding, Hou Yi just pulled her arm from Jun's grip. He watched from above as she landed below and began firing arrows while the hounds unleashed black flames from their mouths. Civilians around them scattered in panic and fear as Linos and his friends began engaging her and the hounds. Jun watched the battle carefully before he cast his gaze towards the hunter.

The first time they had clashed swords was just a test run so that Jun could get a feel of the hunter's abilities and vice versa. But now, the two knew each other and they could fight like true warriors and Jun would finally get what he wanted most. With his sword in hand, he swung and sent a single starbolt towards Remy, purposely missing him and instead striking the ground next to him. Remy noticed the starbolt and his eyes shot up towards the colosseum structure and noticed Jun hiding in the shadows, the shape of his curved horns giving him away. Remy reached for the katana on his back and made his way towards Jun after alerting his comrades. Jun stood on the far end of the colosseum floor, waiting for his opponent to enter. Out from the darkness of the opposite entrance, Remy emerged with his katana in hand.

"The last time we fought you caught me off guard. It won't happen again," Remy glared.

"I should hope so. During our first encounter, all I wanted was to test your abilities, to see if you were truly worthy of being my opponent," Jun replied.

"And what's your assessment so far?"

"You are not your ancestor, that is certain," Jun said, readying his star sword. "Know this: I desire an honorable battle. I will not use the powers held by this blade unless you resort to using the power within your blood. Does that sound fair?"

"Since when do demons care about fair?" Remy asked, readying his blade in response.

"Would you ask that question to your comrades?" Remy glared in response to Jun's question, knowing he had a point but refusing to admit it. "Make no mistake, Remington, I am not like my associates. I care not for the destruction of this world or installing Tzan Ren's rule here."

"Then what do you care about?" Remy shouted.

"What every warrior wants in the end," he replied, "Before I merely tested your basic sword skills, but today, I was hoping to test something else." Jun stabbed his sword into the ground, causing stars to emerge from his sword and fly into the ground. From each spot where a star landed rose large cylindrical, transparent platforms. One rose from right beneath Jun and Remy, raising them above the ground. The platforms glowed a light blue while stars connected by white lines composed the inside, resembling constellations.

"What is this?" Remy asked.

"Simple: a test of balance," Jun smirked as he leapt forward. His sudden attack just briefly caught Remy off guard and he barely managed to block Jun's attack with his own sword. He stepped back out of instinct as Jun landed on his platform only to find that there was no platform left for him to step on. He fell back off the platform but managed quickly pull out a grappling gun. He fired it to another one of the platforms and was able to pull himself back up. Before turning back around to face Jun, Remy whipped out three throwing knives and threw them towards Jun, who easily deflected them with incredible speed. Without a moment's hesitation, Jun leapt from his platform towards Remy again. This time however, Remy was ready for him and blocked Jun's strike with his katana. Both tried to push the other off, but neither one budged. That is, until Remy quickly reached back and pulled out his collapsible jian, whipping the blade out in a single stroke. Jun noticed Remy prepare to strike him with his second blade and narrowly avoided the attack and jumped back to another platform.

"Ha, looks like you're the one who got caught off guard this time!" Remy taunted. Jun looked at him with a glare before noticing a small sharp horn on the ground in front of Remy. He quickly reached up and felt his left horn. Rather than the sharp tip at the end of the curve, he felt a smooth, slanted surface.

"It seems you did. I wasn't aware you were proficient in dual wielding, but I expect nothing less from a Ryder slayer." As he spoke, Jun raised his sword. The tip lit up a bright, light blue and Jun slowly drew his sword down, leaving a trail of bright orbs connected by white, glowing lines as it went. When he pulled his sword away, the line suddenly expanded as a transparent blue sword formed over it, resembling the pillars they stood on. Jun took the sword in his other hand and turned his attention back to Remy. "That should make things even."

While the two swordsmen fought, beyond the walls of the colosseum, their allies were also locked in a heated battle. Hou Yi and Arran fired arrows at each other, each strike missing the other until both managed to land a hit on each other's shoulders. "Grrr, lucky shot!" Hou Yi growled, ripping out the light arrow as its power burned her skin before preparing to fire again.

"Where the hell is Remy?" Mavis shouted from behind Mala's crystal barrier.

"I don't know!" Tim shouted back. "Do you think that other Commander showed up too?"

"Let's find out! Mala, Tim and I are going to find Remy!"

"Ok, just be careful!" Mala cried, raising a crystal barrier to cover the two while they left the field of battle.

Drago kicked Hei Gou off him when the beast lunged towards him and tackled the dragon to the ground. The two unleashed a breath of fire from their mouths simultaneously, creating a bright flash as Drago's bright red flames clashed with Hei Gou's dark ones. Linos meanwhile, reluctantly fought An Gou, who was just as reluctant to fight him. But An Gou could not fight the influence of her master as he forced her to fight.

"It's ok; I know you don't mean it," he said to her with a smile. "I know you can hear me father," he called to Tzan Ren through his unwilling servant, "When this is all over, I'm going to do what I should have done the last time you came back into my life. I'm going to kill you and free An from your control. That's a promise!"

An's eyes glowed bright red in anger, a response from Tzan Ren to his son's declaration, as An lunged towards him.

Once Tim and Mavis were far enough away from the battling demons, Tim stopped her. "Wait, do you hear that?" he asked.

Mavis stopped and focused, trying to pick up what Tim was hearing. It was faint, but she could just make out the sound of metal. "It… it sounds like metal," she said, "and I've seen enough movies to know that is the sound of a sword fight, come on!" Mavis declared, dragging Tim with her by the collar of his sweater vest. The pair entered the large colosseum and saw the large stellar pillars as Jun and Remy fought on top of them, jumping from pillar to pillar as they exchanged blows with their swords.

"I must say, you're certainly versatile!" Jun complimented as their swords clashed again.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were complimenting me!" Remy shot back.

"I was. Unlike my associates, I can recognized a talented individual." Jun spun around and swept Remy's feet with his tail, causing Remy to fall onto his back.

"Oh no!" Tim cried.

"Remy!" Mavis called out.

Jun heard their cries and turned to look at their interrupters. Remy took advantage of his slight distraction and kicked Jun's feet out from under him before standing up. Now he was the one standing over Jun.

"Go on then, finish it!" Jun taunted.

But before Remy made his move, something glowing caught his eye. Across the colosseum embedded in the wall was one of the Signs. He quickly looked back to his friends and yelled, "The Sign's there!" and pointed the way with one sword. Just as Remy had done before, Jun took advantage of his momentary distraction to break free and move to another pillar, putting space between the pair.

"What about you?" Tim asked.

"I can take care of myself. Just get the Sign!" he assured them.

"He said he'll be fine, come on!" Mavis shouted, once again pulling Tim along by his sweater vest.

Remy expected Jun to leave their battle and go after the Sign and he was even prepared to keep him from getting to it, but to Remy's surprise, Jun stayed put. "You're not going after the Sign?" he asked.

"I care not for them. I didn't join the Shadow Legion to gather magical artifacts or conquer worlds. I joined for one reason only," Jun replied.

"And what's that?"

"To fight strong opponents." With that, the two warriors clashed again, matching each other blow for blow.

"Come on Tim, hurry up!" Mavis cried, pulling Tim up as they climbed the interior of the colosseum.

"You… you just… go… on ahead…" he panted heavily, desperately trying to catch his breath.

"You need to start working out more because this," she said, gesturing to all of him, "is probably going to get us killed some day."

"I'd… flip you off… but I can't… lift my arms," he panted.

"Aw, it's cute when you try." Mavis smiled. She turned, leaving Tim where he was and faced the support beam holding up the next level of the colosseum. Just as Remy had pointed out, there embedded in the wall was one of Arran's Signs with a bright red sigil of a ram. She carefully climbed up the support beam. When she got up to the Sign, she gripped her fingers around the edge and pulled, but the Sign wouldn't budge. Still holding the Sign, she adjusted her position against the beam and tried pushing off with her feet. After a few seconds, the Sign came free from its place on the beam and Mavis fell roughly on her butt. "Owwwwww…." she groaned, rubbing her sore rear. When the pain subsided, the examined the Sign in her hand. "Hey Tim, which one is the goat again?"

"I think you mean the Ram," Tim said, having finally gotten some rest. "Arran already has the goat, which is Capricorn."

"Goat, ram, what's the difference?"

"It's a big difference!"

"Whatever, so if it's not Capricorn then it's…"

"Aries," Tim answered for her.

"I would have gotten to that on my own!" she objected.

"Sure you would have. Remy, we've got it! Don't worry we're coming to help you!" Tim shouted over to his friend who was still locked in combat with Jun.

"No! Go help the others! I can handle this on my own!" Remy shouted back.

"But-"

"Go!"

Tim looked at Remy with a worried expression before turning to Mavis. "He said he can handle it," she said, placing her hand on his arm reassuringly. With that, the two left the colosseum to rejoin the rest of their friends, reluctantly leaving one of them behind.

"You sent away your allies away?" Jun asked, intrigued by Remy's choice.

"Don't get the wrong idea, I just don't want them getting in my way. I can beat you on my own!"

As they continued their duel, Mavis and Tim rejoined their friends outside, who were still locked in combat with Hou Yi and the two hounds. "All right Aries, let's see what you're supposed to do!" Mavis grinned as she held out the Aries Sign to Hou Yi.

Arran saw what she was about to do and, recognizing the sigil on the Sign, his eyes widened in shock. "No, Mavis wait!" But it was too late. The sigil lit up and Mavis became surrounded by a bright red aura. The Sign's power raised her slightly off the ground before she suddenly shot forward like a speeding bullet.

"Whoooaaaaa!" she cried, unable to control herself as she rammed straight into Linos and Arran, knocking them over onto Drago and Mala. The aura surrounding Mavis disappeared as the Sign rolled over to Hou Yi, who greedily seized it in her hands.

"Hahaha! Well I should thank you girl for making my job easier, but I think it's time we make our leave!" On her command, An and Hei let out a stream of black fire, setting the ground between them ablaze and using it as a cover to get away. She made her way to the colosseum where she saw Jun still fighting with the slayer. From the looks of it, they had both managed to get a good number of hits on each other. Jun's jacket was ripped at the ends and one of his sleeves was cut open and… was the tip of his horn sliced off? Hou Yi rolled her eyes but then smiled to herself. She made a note to pester him about that later. The slayer's clothes were equally damaged. The armor he wore protected most of his body, but his scarf and pants were cut up in a few places. She even just noticed the small cut across his right cheek. Determined to finish this pointlessness quickly, Hou Yi drew back her bow and aimed for the slayer. He and Jun were moving too quickly and the shot was far from clean, but she couldn't care less about that. Honestly, she was willing to make the shot even more if Jun got hit too. She smirked to herself before releasing the arrow.

Jun, however, heard the sound of the bow releasing the arrow and saw it coming towards him and Remy from the corner of his eye. Without a second though, he pushed Remy away from him with his foot before slicing through the arrow just as it reached him. "What do you think you're doing?" Jun shouted.

"Doing what you're clearly incapable of! Finish off the slayer and let's be done with it!" Hou Yi shouted back.

"No! That's not how it's supposed to end! Don't interfere!"

"Insufferable fool! Fine then! Stay here and spar with your precious slayer! I have what we came for and I'm leaving whether you're done or not!" A shadow portal opened up next to Hou Yi as the hounds jumped in. She stepped in next and cast a condescending smirk to Jun before disappearing inside it.

"Arrogant wench," he cursed under his breath. His ride back to the Netherworld had just left without him. He didn't have the power to open a portal back, only Tzan Ren did. Jun wasn't sure if his master could open another portal so soon given his weakened state and even if he could, Jun wasn't counting on Hou Yi giving an accurate report back to him. He turned back to Remy, who simply stared at the demon with wide eyes. "That will be enough for today, Ryder." With the wave of his sword, the stellar construct pillars descended, lowering the two safely onto the ground.

Jun disappeared out of the colosseum while Remy stared at the arrow that had nearly struck him. If Jun hadn't pushed him out of the way, he would have… Remy shook his head, not wanting to think about that. But why would Jun save him? Sure, he had once thought the same thing about Linos, but that was different! Linos was one of his best friends now. Jun clearly wanted to fight him, but why save him if killing him wasn't his goal? He pushed those thoughts out of his mind - they weren't important - and reunited with his friends. "What happened?" he asked.

"Hou Yi got away with the Sign," Mala said.

"It was my bad. I didn't know what the Aries Sign did and it was because of me that she got it," Mavis admitted with genuine sincerity.

"It's not entirely your fault. I should have told you what the power was and warned you before," Arran added.

"We should get back. There's no sense in moping about this," Linos said. Arran nodded and opened a light portal back to Los Angeles. Before Mavis stepped in, Mala placed a reassuring on Mavis' shoulder. Once they entered the portal and it began to close, Jun suddenly appeared and jumped through, following them back to Los Angeles. When he came out on the other side, everyone prepared to defend themselves, but Jun simply dashed out the door of Arran's nearly-ready restaurant and disappeared down the street. They ran out after him but he was already gone from sight.

"I'll find him," Linos said, opening his wings.

"No," Remy stopped him, "Let him go."

"Why?" Drago asked.

"He ran instead of attacking us. He won't be any trouble… for now."

* * *

"Excellent work, Hou Yi, but this is still not the Sign I require!" Tzan Ren said.

"My apologies master, but if perhaps you were to tell me which Sign it is you require, I-"

"And what? Play with the risk that you will suddenly stop trying to acquire the Sign once you find out it isn't the one I need? I think not! Continue gathering the Signs. I will tell you which is the right one once you've acquired it."

"V-very well, master," Hou Yi bowed.

"Where is Jun?" he asked.

"He… he did not make it," she responded.

"What happened?"

"I didn't see much, but I did see him battling with the Ryder slayer. Perhaps Jun fell to him?" Of course she knew that wasn't true. But she knew that saying "he didn't make it" was vague enough and, as she hoped, Tzan Ren assumed she meant he died.

"Jun is not the first of our kind to fall to the Ryder slayers," Tzan Ren sighed. "In light of this… loss, I will reinstate you as Commander of the scouts. You will also take over Jun's responsibilities and lead the infantry."

"Th-thank you! Thank you, master! I will not fail you! I promise!" When Hou Yi turned away, she grinned widely beneath her hood.

* * *

**So I hope you guys enjoyed that little flashback into Hou Yi and Jun Bing's past. Like I said, I got a little inspired by how I ended the previous chapter. Plus, I threw in some Hsian Ji! yay! I never get tired of writing her. You'll be getting more of her in flashback form, that's for sure!**

**I think one of my favorite parts of writing this story, aside from writing Linos and the Shadow Legion is writing the Remy vs. Jun bits. I really like the two of them as rivals and writing them is so much fun. Plus I'm honestly just expanding on the powers of Jun's Qian Xing Po as I go along and I'm loving what's coming out of my thinker box.**

**ALSO BIG NEWS! D-Sniper and I have spent the last two days brainstorming and THERE WILL BE AN ARC 5! We had been playing around with the idea of an arc 5 for a long time, but we just couldn't think of a story or plot for it, so we had to put it on the backburner. But two days ago we just got hit with brainstorming steroids and the ideas would not stop flowing. But alas, we don't want to give too much away. Although we will give you some information about arc 5: it will feature a timeskip, new ally characters, new demon elements, a female villain and the JCA character of one of my best friends, VioletRoseDragon14 (with some changes). So, I'm interested in hearing any theories or even ideas you have for future story ideas. **

**Next chapter: Hou Yi goes rogue in an attempt to hurt Linos by attacking Mavis... and her family.**


	10. Danger Zone

**So I started this chapter last night and ended up finishing it today. Did not expect that! XD**

* * *

Mala inhaled deeply as she focused in again on her crystal ball. She kept the blinds closed and the lights switched off so as to help her concentrate better. She couldn't afford a tiny distraction messing her up. With all the distractions courtesy of the Shadow Legion recently, Mala hadn't clocked in any time with practicing her crystallomancy. She knew the basics already, but was still having difficulty making accurate predictions of the future. For instance, last week she predicted it would be sunny all day, but instead it ended up pouring rain from sunrise to sunset. But tonight… tonight her practice took an unsuspecting turn.

"Ngh… no! Not again!" she shouted in frustration. The crystal ball dropped from its place hovering over her lap and rolling away. "This can't be…" she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears as she dug her fingers into her hair.

Was this what it felt like? Was this how Lang Yan felt when she saw the death of her own daughter? Seeing nothing but that and no matter what she tried, no matter how hard she tried to change the situation in her vision with the smallest detail, what she saw remained unchanged? Mala couldn't even begin to imagine the helplessness and gut-wrenching heartache her mother must have felt when this happened to her. She could feel her own heart breaking in two at having to watch this scene over and over again with none of the changes she tried implementing altering anything.

Was this what it was like to see someone you care about die?

"Maybe one more try," she said, reaching for the crystal ball once more and hovering it over her lap. She closed her eyes and exhaled deeply, trying to focus all of her concentration one what she desperately hoped would be the correct vision of the future.

It started out the same: the city she and her friends called home and protected covered in a blanket of darkness and shadows. The sky was covered in thick clouds, blocking out any sunlight as black and purple demons with bright red eyes raced through the streets. People ran, screaming in terror and fright, as the demons wreaked havoc on the city around them. She stood in the center of the chaos with her friends, battling the demons and trying to minimize the damage and casualties as best they could. But when they reached the center of the city, it was shrouded by a black dome. They couldn't see anything within it and none of them could enter. Well, none except for Linos. Somehow, he was able to pass through into this dome. Like in her previous visions, she and her friends tried to dissuade him from entering, listing all the dangers he could face if he did and that it would be foolish of him to go in alone. Getting him alone was what he wanted. But Linos didn't care. They tried to stop him by force, unwilling to let their friend face what was ahead alone, but Linos disappeared into the shadows as its magic prevented any of them from entering. The beat on the dome with their hands, trying to break through any way they could, but it was useless.

Mala tried focusing in on what was happening within the dome of shadows, but she couldn't get a clear imagine, even on this attempt! All she caught were two voices, shouting at each other, like they were arguing. Both male, one was Linos', and both very angry. She only caught bits and pieces, but some sentences she could make out.

"What have you done to her?" cried the first voice. That was Linos.

"I saved her! Freed her from your parasitic influence!" shouted the second. "She was my beautiful Demon Siren and then you changed her! But now, now she has never been more beautiful!" the voice added with a psychotic and maniacal laughter.

"You… you vile bastard... I'll kill you!" the first voice cried again, this time shouting angrily, almost roaring like an animal.

Figures were moving back and forth, most likely fighting, but the image was too dark and blurry for her to really see. But then, like every time this night, the image suddenly cleared up: A single arrow plunged right into Linos' chest. It was a direct hit on his heart and she could see the life drain from his eyes as the shadows enveloped him, leaving only darkness.

"No!" Mala cried again, the vision breaking and her crystal ball falling to the floor and rolling away. It was the same, once again. She buried her face into her hands as the tears came flooding out. "What do I do mom? How can I change this?" she tearfully whimpered as her arms muffled most of her words. She knew her mother's spirit was still around… somewhere. She hadn't seen it since the Arctic and maybe, just maybe if she called out to it, her mother's spirit would appear and give her some advice. But now spirit wolf appeared...

What did Lang Yan do to prevent Mala's death? Right… she substituted her own life in Mala's place. Lang Yan technically didn't change the events, at least not entirely. Someone still died. Sure, Lang Yan is technically still alive, but Linos was still considered young by demon standards. Could he manifest an astral form separate from his physical body? Or could he even maintain that form in the event of his physical body's death? And even if he could, it would take them a long time to prepare a resurrection spell. There was no telling how long Linos would be able to maintain his astral form with no physical anchor. If he couldn't hold on long enough, he'd fade away and then there would be no chance for resurrection. And that shadow dome would prove to be a problem too. Linos was the only one who could enter it, so there was no way to substitute someone else to die in his place.

She can't alter the future; she can't save him. She tried to think of every way around it, but nothing came to mind.

"Linos is going to die," she tearfully whispered.

* * *

With her reinstatement as a Commander, Hou Yi felt like she was on top of the world, especially with that meddlesome Jun Bing out of the way. Those troublesome children must have dealt with him by now! It was easy to leave that annoyance behind in the human world. She didn't hesitate for a second!

But there was one thought still prevalent on her mind. Linos had been in the human world for several years now and he had clearly developed a close… fondness with his human companions. In particular, that human girl with the red hair and spots on her face. Hou Yi had caught the swift glances the two exchanged, usually when one of them wasn't looking at the other. She recognized the look in their eyes: longingness. She would never admit this to any of the others, but that was the way she would look at Tso Lan before he even knew she existed.

Their eyes were filled with longing and desire, like there was an unspoken attraction between the two that was… unspoken. So, both had feelings for the other but neither had the courage to admit anything. Hou Yi grinned maliciously as she realized what it meant. Linos had an attraction for that human girl! This couldn't have been more perfect than Hou Yi planned! She could exploit this weakness! She approached Tzan Ren with some lie about scoping out the city and spying on his son. It was convincing enough to get him to open a shadow portal to the human world. She only brought An Gou with her; she needed stealth and speed, not power, which Tzan Ren seemed to agree with.

"You remember her scent? The human girl, not the half-breed?" she asked An, who nodded. "Good, find her for me." She followed An as the demon hound tracked Mavis' scent through the city. It was difficult at first since the city was filled with so many different scents overpowering each other, but An was eventually able to single out Mavis' and track her to her home. "So, the others are not here. Perfect," she grinned. She didn't need any more complications in the form of Linos and his other friends. She wanted the human girl all to herself. Hurting her would be the most effective way to hurt Linos and she joyfully imagined the look on his face when he'd find her after Hou Yi was finished.

Inside, Mavis made her way into the kitchen where her two brothers, Finn and Sean, were sitting at the table eating breakfast. "What are you doing up to early?" Finn asked.

"Oh, Liam, Damon and Remy are finally getting those motorcycles they've been saving up for so they're gonna give us a test drive. Relax, I'm just going to be riding on the back and I will be wearing a helmet," she quickly added when she noticed her older brother preparing to interrupt her.

"Good," he said. "How'd they manage to afford them so soon?"

"Well they've been helping Arran set up his store nearly every day. Plus he gave them a little bonus as a bit of a thank you," she explained, pouring cereal into her bowl. A few pieces didn't land in the bowl and bounced off the counter onto the floor. "Opps." Mavis bent down to pick up the stray pieces and throw them out when all of a sudden, the glass of the window in front of her smashed as an arrow flew in and struck the cabinets right behind Mavis. All three Callahans froze staring at the arrow and then the broken window wide-eyed as Mavis slowly rose from the ground. "Shit shit shit! Run!" Mavis shouted, abandoning her cereal and running over to her brothers. She grabbed them each by their wrists and pulled them away from the table just as Hou Yi burst through the window, destroying the rest of the glass and the frame as well.

"You won't get away!" Hou Yi shouted.

"Mavis! What's going on?" Finn shouted, frantically looking behind them as the demonic hooded archer chased after them.

"Run now, explain later!" Mavis shouted back, pulling her brothers out the door to the driveway. "Car, now!" Mavis had to practically shove a shock stricken Finn into the driver's seat while she jumped into the passenger side with Sean in her lap. She quickly looked behind them to see Hou Yi coming out the front door after them, only to step on the leftover skateboard on the front deck and trip. "DRIVE!"

Finn didn't argue or protest this time as he started the engine and drove out into the street. "Mavis! What is going on? Who is that woman and why is she attacking us? And why does she have purple skin and red eyes?" Finn shouted.

"Uh, ok, cards on the table! I haven't exactly been honest with you and mom and dad about my… 'extracurricular activities'," she laughed nervously. They heard the glass of the back window shattering as Hou Yi tried firing at them again, taking out Finn's driver side mirror in the process.

"Who is this freak and why is she trying to kill us?" Finn shouted again.

"Her name is Hou Yi and she's one of the Commanders of the Shadow Legion!" Mavis answered.

"And who are they?" Finn shouted.

"Heads up!" Sean cried, pointing to the large, red-eyed, six-legged brown beast leapt onto the hood of the car. Mavis instantly recognized it as An from her smaller frame and red markings.

"What the hell is that thing?" Finn cried, instinctively stomping on the breaks. An nearly slid off the hood of the car, but dug her nails into the metal to keep herself in place.

"Don't stop! Why are you stopping? Drive!"

"Ah!" Finn honestly didn't know what he was doing or what he should do so he just followed Mavis' order and pressed down on the gas. The streets were fairly empty - thank god - with only a few cars present that Finn easily cut around, earning several honks and angry yells along the way. "Uh, what about this thing and the creepy arrow lady!"

"Leave that to me," Mavis said. She scooched over so that Sean could sit down and pushed open the sunroof of the car.

"What are you doing?" Finn cried with wide eyes.

"Hey, you drive!" she said, shooting her brother a serious glare before standing up through the sunroof. She took the Wolf Coin in hand and fired a blast of ice just as An opened her mouth, freezing her jaw and neck as well as knocking her off the hood. Mavis quickly turned around and used the Tortoise Coin to bring up a shield just as Hou Yi, who was coming up behind them in a swirl of black wind, fired another trio of arrows at the car. "Ok, where was I?" she asked, sitting back down next to Sean in the single seat. "Right, uh Shadow Legion. Well, simply put, they are an army of demons from the Demon Netherworld and they're run by Liam's dad."

"Liam?"

"Oh, right and his name is actually Linos!"

"Linos?"

"Yeah, Damon and Mala are half-demons, Remy's a demon slayer and all of us - including Tim - have been fighting demons for nearly the past year!"

"WHAT?"

"Hey, hey, focus on the road! Take the highway!" Finn did as she suggested, or rather ordered, while Mavis pulled out her phone. "Yeah hi, so funny story, me and my brothers are kinda being attacked by Hou Yi right now. Good question, what do I mean when I say kinda? Well, to clarify, she is firing arrows at me and my brothers while we're in a car chase! Yeah, some assistance would be nice, post haste!" she put her phone down and turned back to her brother who was still in the process of freaking out. "Don't worry, they're on their way. We've done this kind of thing before."

"You've been in a car chase while on the run from a murderous psychopath?" Finn shouted.

"Well not this exact scenario, but stuff similar to it!"

Suddenly, Hou Yi dashed ahead with her wind powers and landed on the back of the car. "You won't get away from me this time!" she shouted, drawing back her bow. High in the sky, a large winged shadow hovered over the light of the sun. The shadow descended and landed roughly on Hou Yi, pinning her to the car, which nearly swerved out of control from the impact.

"Linos!" Mavis cried happily.

"That's Liam?" Finn shouted with wide eyes and his jaw dropped.

"You guys ok?" Linos shouted.

"We're fine!" Mavis answered.

"Fine? Fine? We're being chased by a crazy demon on a highway and you think we're fine?" Finn shouted.

"Hey! We do not have time for you to freak out right now! Get your shit together!" Mavis shouted, grabbing Finn's collar and shaking him roughly.

"Good! I'll deal with you," Linos whispered maliciously. He wrapped his arms around Hou Yi and spread his wings wide, allowing the wind to fill them up and lift him off the car. Hou Yi struggled against his grip and the pair landed on top of a large semi. With his back facing the wind, Linos folded in his wings so he wouldn't get blown away. "Attack my friend and her family? I'll make you sorry you ever stepped foot into this world!" Linos shouted.

"I'm not afraid of you, little boy! Your mother isn't here to threaten me with her death song anymore! And if there's one thing I've learned in my life, the best way to hurt your enemy is to destroy the one thing he cares for most. I've seen the way you look at her. It's pathetic really; you're like a sad little puppy begging for something he can never have!"

Linos growled at her and let out a loud sonic shriek, but Hou Yi rolled off the back of the truck and clung to the door. She easily flipped herself back up and fired two arrows at Linos, who deflected them with his shadow tendrils. Mala flew up behind them and shot crystal shards at Hou Yi, who easily dodged them. The shards struck the metal of the truck as Hou Yi retaliated by firing arrows at Mala as well, but she easily moved out of their path.

"The other one's back!" Sean shouted. Mavis looked to the side of the highway where An Gou swiftly wan alongside their speeding car. Before An could move up to their car, a motorcycle rushed up and cut off the demon dog. Mavis recognized the green skin and long reptilian tail as the rider blasted the dog with a fireball.

"Uh, please tell me these ones are nice!" Finn whimpered.

"You guys ok?" cried a second rider coming up on Finn's side. He lifted up his visor, revealing Remy's bright green eyes. And if Mavis had to guess, Tim was the passenger sitting behind him.

"What about the others?" Mavis asked.

"Linos and Mala are taking care of Hou Yi. We've gotta get you guys out of here first! Come on!" Remy answered.

Remy, Tim and Drago led Mavis and her brothers to safety and somewhere quiet to avoid the inevitable arrival of authorities while Linos still fought with Hou Yi on top of the semi truck and Mala supported him from above. "I'm gonna make you regret this, Hou Yi!" Linos shouted. He lunged for her, throwing punches while Hou Yi dodged and did the same. Mala flew around them, trying to find an angle where she could attack, but Linos was too close to Hou Yi and she didn't want to risk the hit, especially after what she had seen last night in her visions. The two pushed away from each other as Hou Yi prepared to fire on Linos again. But before she could release her bowstring, two light blue energy waves struck her from behind. From the bridge just passing over them stood Jun Bing, who jumped down onto the semi-truck with his sword drawn. Linos prepared to battle both of them, but Jun moved over to Hou Yi and roughly seized her by the collar of her cloak.

"We need to talk," Jun whispered at her harshly. The truck entered a tunnel and as they passed by the dim lights, which briefly lit and darkened the area as they passed, Jun and Hou Yi disappeared. Once outside, Linos took to the skies and rejoined with Mala.

"Where'd they go?" she asked.

"I don't know. I lost sight of them in the tunnel," he answered.

"No sense in wasting time trying to find them. Let's meet back up with the others and make sure Mavis and her brothers are all right," Mala said, placing a hand on Linos' shoulder.

In truth, Linos didn't want to let Hou Yi get away so easily, not without at least making her pay. He knew what this was: she singled out Mavis to kill her as a means to hurt him. How could he have been so careless? He should have paid more attention, he should have-

"Linos, come on!" Mala urged.

"Right, I'm coming," he said, following after her. The pair flew back into the city and regrouped with everyone back at Mavis' house. Everyone was outside in the backyard where Mavis was repairing the damage Hou Yi had caused to the house with the Jellyfish Coin. Finn was sitting on the bench shakily holding a cup of tea while just staring at the ground with wide eyes.

"We shouldn't be hearing from them soon, but I don't think this place will be safe anymore," Linos said as he and Mala landed.

"What do you mean it's not safe here? My family can't just pack up and leave and do you honestly expect me to blow the whistle to the old people too?" Mavis asked, referring to her parents.

"We won't have to," Tim answered. "I've put up protective spells around the perimeter of the house. From now on, the only demons that can enter are the three of you and Arran."

"None of this makes sense," Finn whimpered. "You're all…"

"Well, actually I'm the only full demon," Linos explained, shifting back into human form as Mala did the same. "Mala and Drago are half. I know this is a lot to take in Finn, but we're not monsters."

"Yeah, the only reason this whole city hasn't been overrun by monsters is because of us," Drago boasted.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Well, Tim knew from the start that Liam was a demon, but I didn't find out until a while later. Mala came in just last year and then Drago and Remy came in around the same time after that. So at the very least, a year."

"This… this is a lot to take in," he sighed. "I mean, what am I supposed to tell mom and dad?"

"Nothing. They can't know about any of this," Mavis said.

"So you were planning on keeping me in the dark this whole time? How could you not tell your own family about any of this?"

"I knew." Everyone turned their heads to Sean, who finally spoke up.

"You knew?" they all cried.

"It wasn't that hard to figure out. Mavis was always out whenever these strange occurrences were happening. I thought it was just a coincidence at first, but I figured something was up after the third time. Plus I saw you guys fighting that ghost lady in Ireland."

"You saw that?" Mavis cried. "And you didn't say anything?"

"Well I was going to wait until you said something, but the demon with the bow and arrow kinda beat me to the punch! Besides, I may be a kid, but I'm not stupid. And no, I haven't told anyone! I'm not a motormouth like you, Mavis," Sean said with a smirk, crossing his arms.

Mavis practically growled at her brother and prepared to tackle him, but Mala stepped in her way and bent down to Sean's level. "We appreciate you keeping our secret, Sean."

"But now that we know, you can't just expect me to sit idly by while you kids put yourselves in danger!"

"Well, three of us have demonic powers, one of us is a skill warrior trained to slay demons and another one of us is trained in Chi Wizardry specifically designed to counter demon magic," Drago said confidently, "I think we're good."

"Listen big bro, I know this is gonna be hard for you to accept, but I can take care of myself. Just this last year, we defeated a Dark Chi Wizard AND defeated four Demon Sorcerers!"

"You may not like it Finn, but we're best suited to handle this," said Remy.

"Oh, what did I get myself into?" Finn whined.

* * *

Hou Yi and Jun arrived back in the Netherworld with An closely following behind. Jun roughly tossed Hou Yi onto the ground and drew his sword. "Y-you're alive!" she breathed.

"Were you expecting something else? Oh, that's right. You left me in the human world!" Jun shouted.

"Only because you were so stubborn! We had the Sign but you just had to fight that slayer, didn't you? I had my chance to take him down for good and you interrupted me!"

"Because the slayer is mine to deal with! I will not accept outside help or interference!"

"My, my, what an interesting development." The two bickering Commanders looked to see their shadowy master hovering over them.

"M-master! Look who I found! It appears Jun survived after all!" Hou Yi bowed, hoping Tzan Ren would believe her words so she could save her own skin.

"Is that true what I heard, Jun? She abandoned you in the human world and then lied about your fate?"

"Yes, master. I was engaged in battle and she returned here without me and left me with no other means to get back."

"Now, why would you lie to me about that, Hou Yi?" Tzan Ren asked, ominously hovering over her.

"I, uh, I didn't have a choice!" she quickly came up with a reasonable excuse. "Our enemies were closing in and I had what we wanted. We had to leave then, but Jun was insistent on staying to fight the Ryder slayer! He even prevented me from killing the slayer for him!"

"Is this true, Jun?" Tzan Ren asked, turning to Jun.

"It is," Jun admitted. Unlike his companion, Jun didn't hide behind twisted words and lies. "He was the opponent I chose to fight. I had confidence that Hou Yi and the hounds could handle themselves, so I had no problem leaving her to her own devices. But clearly, I overestimated her abilities."

"An error even I have made," Tzan Ren added, as Hou Yi grumbled lowly under her hood. "But that does not excuse your disregard for securing victory. Why save your enemy when you had the chance to be rid of him?"

"I am a warrior, master, and honor demands that I see the battle through fairly. Outside interference will not be tolerated. When you invited me into your Legion, we had an agreement. Do you remember?"

"Yes," Tzan Ren answered.

"I will be your sword; I will cut down those who stand in your way. But when I see an opponent with a true warrior's spirit, I will fight them honorably and I will fight them my way. That was my only term and you swore to honor it in blood." Jun held out his hand as a horizontal scar across his palm lit up.

Tzan Ren sighed knowing that if his physical body was intact, an identical scar on his hand would light up in response. "The binding of a blood oath cannot be broken unless both parties consent." That was the only way to get Jun to sign on and become part of his Legion. Tzan Ren had tried bribes and promises of riches and power, but Jun cared not for any of those things. Jun had only one request: that should he come across a worthy opponent, he is allowed to pursue that opponent over any and all of Tzan Ren's orders. For the most part it was never a problem. Each of the opponents had been underwhelming to say the least and Jun easily dealt with them quickly enough to return to his duties as Shadow Legion Commander. But now, this slayer was proving to be more resilient than the others. Two encounters and Jun still had not defeated him. But a blood oath is a blood oath. "Conclude your business with the slayer, Jun, then return your focus to the Legion's goals."

Jun bowed as Tzan Ren floated away to deal with other business. "Nice try, Hou Yi," Jun said, "But as always, I am one step ahead of you."

* * *

**So Mavis' brothers know all about the Strikers and demons now, but I have a feeling everything will be juuuuuust fine. Oh right, uh Mala's vision... hm... Anyway, I realized I haven't brought up Mala's crystallomancy in a while and I guess I got so distracted by Shadow Legion stuff that I forgoot about it XD my bad. **

**Next chapter: To China! And an ancient warlord's palace!**


	11. Warlords

**I'm really on a roll right now. Probably because I'm super itching to get to the end of the story. Again, not because I want it to end, but because the ending sequence is super exciting and D-Sniper and I just cannot wait to get there. Plus, for those who are not following me on deviantart, I recently released a silhouette preview of two new characters coming in arc 4. You're all welcome to make your guesses and theories about "Alex and Rex" as we are currently calling them. Full images and backstories will be released once arc 3 concludes ;)**

* * *

"This is so boring!" Mavis whispered sharply.

"Sh, Mavis!" Mala hushed her friend.

"Yeah, we're here and you might as well learn something," Tim added.

"But do we have to sit through this tour group? I mean, why can't we just go in guns blazing and get what we want?" she continued complaining.

"You realize this palace complex is filled with hundreds of tourists, right? Pretty sure we want to keep a low profile," Drago said.

"Coming from the guy who attacked a comic book convention," Liam added.

"Which makes me an expert on the subject, don't you think? People will be panicking and screaming and we'll be surrounded by feds before we know it."

"And this way, we'll at least be able to scope out the place and find the Sign," Remy said too.

"And here we have the central throne room of Warlord Chen's palace. Now, Warlord Chen was known for his military strength and charisma. When any army that dared to oppose him, he was able to convince them to join him instead," the tour guide explained as she led the tour group into the center of a large, Chinese palace decorated with wall scrolls and immaculate statues of qilins. Ahead of them and in front of the lavish throne, behind the metal fence to keep people from getting too close, stood a dusty, old set of armor dressed on a mannequin. "This suit of armor was recovered from Warlord Chen's tomb and our team of archaeologists have managed to restore this great suit, which we now have on display here. Now if everyone will follow me, we can take a look at the personal quarters."

They were about to continue on, but Arran pulled them back to look at the suit of armor before the next tour group.

"What's up?" Tim asked.

"Right there," Arran said, pointing to the center of the chestplate where a tan sigil with an orange crab insignia sat.

"Great, let's get it," Mavis said, walking up to the gate.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down," Tim said, pulling Mavis back by the collar of her shirt. "You realize there's cameras and alarms that go off the minute someone tries to climb the fence right?"

"Ugh, god since when do people care so much about old stuff! When my great grandpa Brian died, we didn't take all his stuff and put it on display and charge people to look at it. No, we just put it all in storage."

"Either way, we can't just take it in the middle of the day while we're being monitored and surrounded by hundreds of potential witnesses. We'll have to come back at night," Arran said. "Now let's go before the next tour group arrives."

They waited until nightfall when the grounds were closed and everyone went home. Mavis jumped from bush to bush before pressing herself up against the outer wall that surrounded the palace complex. "I'm in position. Awaiting additional orders," she whispered.

"What are you doing?" Mavis turned to look behind her as she saw her friends looking at her with their eyebrows cocked.

"Tch, isn't it obvious?" she asked. None of them said anything as Drago emerged from the bushes, doing the exact same thing as Mavis. He was about to whisper something like she had, but stopped when he saw them all staring at the two of them.

"Uh, we were just… scoping the perimeter," he laughed nervously.

"See? Your boyfriend gets me, Mala," Mavis remarked.

"Unbelievable. My boyfriend is a child," Mala sighed.

Linos, Mala and Arran flew everyone over the wall and they landed silently within the palace complex. "Careful, there's still guards patrolling the grounds," Arran warned.

"Heh, give me one minute," Linos boasted. In a flash, he disappeared into the ground and moved through the grounds as a shadow. True to his word, he returned a minute later and emerged from his shadow. "All taken care of."

"And by that you mean?" Tim asked for clarification.

"Knocked out, of course!"

"Linos, I really don't think you should just be disappearing from us like that," Mala said with worry.

"Oh what's the big deal? I can take care of myself, Mala. You don't need to worry," he said. "Actually, you've been acting really weird lately. I mean, not super weird, but overly concerned, in particular towards me. Is something wrong?"

"What? N-no! Everything's fine!" she insisted.

Linos narrowed his eyes and focused his hearing on her heartbeat, which was hastened a great deal. "You're lying," he said, casting his eyes down to her abdomen and focusing his hearing there, but didn't find what he expected. "Well, you're not pregnant."

"Why does everyone jump to that conclusion!" Mala shouted.

"Shhh!" Tim hushed them.

"Oh, all the guards are knocked out! Who's gonna hear us?" Mavis exclaimed.

"Oh, I don't know. Why don't you shout a little louder and see who else hears you?" All seven of them quickly looked up to one of the palace buildings to see Hou Yi and Jun Bing standing on the roof with Hei and An on either side of them. "You probably should have left those guards conscious, Linos. You'd need the extra manpower and I would just love to finally get some kills in," Hou Yi grinned maliciously.

"Uh, plan?" Drago asked.

"Mavis, Tim, get the Sign," Arran said.

"We'll run interference," Linos added.

"Gotcha," Mavis said, starting to run off before quickly running back to them. "Quick question, is this Sign a safe one to use? I'd rather not repeat the whole Aries thing."

"Cancer's a defensive Sign; it's power is-" Arran was cut off by the sound of an arrow firing and quickly countered with his own light arrow. "I'll tell you later! Go!" Chaos ensued within the palace grounds as the two groups clashed. Mavis and Tim made their way to the main palace within the complex while Jun made his way towards Remy.

"Ready for round three?" Jun asked, readying his sword.

"Are you?" Remy countered.

The two swordsmen clashed, exchanging every swing for a sword in sync, metal striking metal as one tried to land a hit, only to be blocked by the other. Jun pushed off Remy and jumped back to gain some distance. When he tried to advance again, he felt something wrap around his right leg and anchor him to the ground. He looked down and growled under his breath at the sight of the crystal spike that encased his leg.

"I can take care of this myself!" Remy shouted at Mala.

"I know, Remy, but we can't take any chances!" she shouted back. Mala landed and extended the crystal scythes on her forearms, charging at Jun. He narrowed his eyes that the one who dared to intrude on his match with Remy and easily blocked two slashes from Mala before knocking her back with his tail. He smashed the crystal that kept him in place and turned to Mala and Remy as they got together.

"Two on one, not particularly fair, wouldn't you say? But, I'm not one to say 'no' to a challenge," Jun grinned, drawing out a star sword construct. While Jun engaged his rival and new opponent, Drago and Linos engaged the two dogs.

"Anything I need to know about these two?" Drago asked as Hei and An slowly advanced on him and Linos.

"Hei's strong, An's fast," Linos replied simply.

"I mean something I don't already know?" he asked.

"Then no."

"I'll take the big one then," Drago smirked charging for Hei as the demon hound did the same to him.

"Thanks," Linos said. He was secretly hoping Drago would opt to take on Hei and even if Drago wanted to take An, he'd just get Drago to switch with him anyway. An was important to him and he knew she wouldn't attack him willingly. But until he could find a way to free An of his father's influence, he had to make sure she wouldn't get hurt or end up hurting his friends.

Meanwhile, the two archers exchanged shots and the court yard was littered with black and golden arrows. Hou Yi fired off three arrows simultaneously at Arran, but he easily defended himself with a light barrier, which disintegrated the black arrows on contact. "Two can play at that game!" Suddenly, the Signs he had so far appeared over Arran's back in a circle. Each one was placed inside a metal, sun-shaped disc while the rest were empty. Sagittarius began glowing and nearly twenty arrows of light appeared above Arran's head. Hou Yi gasped as the arrows began flying towards her. She managed to shoot down a few, but the rest struck her and she fell back with a pained cry and light arrows pierced in her body.

"Ahhh!" she screamed, painfully pulling out the light arrows that burned her very skin. "You'll pay for that!" she shrieked, sending a gust of dark wind at Arran, knocking him back. She waved her arms and formed a black whirlwind around Arran, suffocating him.

"Arran!" Linos cried, seeing his cousin in trouble. He pushed An away as gently as he could, but still with enough strength to put some distance between them, before letting out a sonic shriek directly towards Hou Yi. The force of the blast knocked her right into the wall, forming an impact crater and causing the black wind around Arran to dissipate.

Hou Yi pulled herself free from the wall and drew an arrow at Linos. "I will end you!" she shouted. She released her grip from the bowstring and the arrow flew towards Linos. He prepared to defend himself. It was only one arrow after all and he saw it coming the second she loaded her bow. However, he suddenly cried out in pain when he felt something sharp stabbing into his leg. He looked down and saw An's jaw clenched around his lower left leg. Distracted by the interruption and the pain, Linos completely forgot about the arrow that was still flying right towards him.

"Linos!" Mala shouted. No! This couldn't be happening! It was too soon! Her vision couldn't be coming true now! For one thing, they were in China, not Los Angeles and there was no shadow dome. But more importantly, she didn't want that future she saw over and over again to come true. As quickly as she could, she tore herself away from fighting Jun, knowing Remy could handle the demon on his own. She jumped into the air and brought her fist down onto the ground, sending a row of crystals right towards Linos. The trail continued and moved in front of him before expanding and growing upward, forming a protective barrier that took the arrow's hit. She sighed in relief to see that the arrow didn't hit him, but he was still in pain from the demon dog that remained locked to his leg. An's eyes suddenly glowed for an instant and she removed her hold on Linos, who collapsed from the pain and gripped his leg while An took off.

"Come on, Tim! You cannot do this again!" Mavis shouted.

"J-just… go," Tim panted exhausted, resting at the top of the stairs outside the main throne room.

Mavis rolled her eyes and ran into the throne room where they were just hours earlier. As before, the suit of armor stood in place with an elaborate monk's spade staff placed next to it. "Hehe, I've always wanted to do this," Mavis grinned, excitedly climbing over the railing. She approached the armor and reached out for the Sign only to stop and look back when she heard Tim screaming loudly.

"Maviiiiiis!" he squealed loudly, running into the room with An Gou hot on his tail. An leapt into the air and landed on Tim as he turned around, pinning the tiny human to the floor. An opened her mouth wide to bite him, but Tim raised his arms and pushed her head away. The demon hound was much stronger, but Tim able to at least keep her snapping jaw away from his face.

Mavis jumped back over the fence and ran over to An Gou. She wrapped her hands around An's curved horns and tried pulling the large beast off her friend. "Come on, bad dog!" Mavis grunted.

Neither of them noticed the Cancer Sign on the suit of armor glowing brightly. The armor suddenly came alive and reassembled, standing upright as if someone was wearing it, but there was no body inside. The helmet turned, as if looking around, and reached for the monk's spade next to it. The armor stepped forward and kicked down the fence that stood in its way. The crashing sound it made caused Mavis, An and Tim to instantly freeze and snap their heads in the direction of the noise.

"What the frack?" Mavis muttered with wide eyes.

The suit of armor suddenly charged towards them. An leapt off Tim to get away from the oncoming attack. Tim held up his arms in a weak attempt to protect himself, but felt nothing strike him. He lowered his arms and opened his eyes to see the suit of armor trying to strike them, only for his weapon to bounce off an invisible barrier that surrounded them. He looked behind him and saw Mavis holding up the Tortoise Coin, visibly struggling to keep the shield up as the suit of armor continued assaulting it relentlessly.

"I can't hold it much longer!" she groaned.

"Hang on!" Tim quickly reached into his messenger bag and pulled out the dried blowfish inside. He pointed it at the suit of armor and muttered a spell, causing a beam of light to shoot out from the blowfish's mouth. The beam struck it, but only managed to knock the armor back a few steps.

"Why didn't that do anything?" Mavis cried, bringing down the shield.

"Because it's not a demon," Tim realized.

"You know, for once I would like it if we could get a Sign without something going wrong halfway through!" Mavis complained, pulling Tim with her as she made a break for the door. The armor turned to pursue them, but An Gou let out a stream of black flames at it, gaining the armor's attention. Just as Mavis and Tim made it to the door, An crashed right through the wall next to them and rolled into the courtyard, causing everyone to stop their fighting and look towards the source of this disturbance. "Big problem, BIG PROBLEM!" Mavis shouted. She quickly looked back inside the palace and pulled Tim out of the way as the suit of armor crashed through the entrance, splintering the wood of the door.

"Intruders…" a deep, echoey voice bellowed from the suit of armor. The suit charged into the courtyard angrily, smashing its monk's spade into the ground. Hou Yi, Linos and Arran moved out of the way just in time before the club end of the staff collided with the concrete, cracking it on impact.

"What's going on?" Arran cried.

"What is the meaning of this? I don't have time for this!" Hou Yi shouted, drawing her bow and firing two arrows at the suit. The armor easily deflected her arrows, but her attack provoked the suit and caused it to charge onto her.

"What is going on? What did you two do?" Remy asked.

"Why does everyone assume I'm at fault?" Mavis asked loudly while everyone just stared at her blankly. "Ok, now I know my track record shows stuff like this, but I swear, this was not me!"

"I'm not sure what happened. The suit just… came alive!" Tim exclaimed.

"And the Cancer Sign is still on it. How are we supposed to get it off a living suit of armor?" Linos asked as the suit engaged Hou Yi, Jun and the twin dogs.

"I'm more curious as to how it came alive," Arran said.

"I might have an answer for that," Mala realized. "Doesn't this seem a lot like what happened in Ireland?"

"You know, now that you mention it, yeah," Drago said.

"Arran, you weren't there for that but tldr, the Aquarius Sign turned the ghost of my ancestor into a banshee," Mavis explained.

"What Mavis means is that the presence of your Sign and us-" Mala started.

"Caused lingering spirits to manifest!" Arran interrupted, finishing her sentence.

"That's right," she nodded.

"So when my Cancer Sign appeared on the armor, it's magic didn't do much to the lingering spirits here. But once we and the Shadow Legion arrived and started using are magic, that must have been enough to awaken the spirits and anger them," Arran said.

"Then it's probably Warlord Chen's spirit possessing his armor," Drago added.

"Great! But how do we fix that? I seriously doubt we'll be able to 'appease' his spirit like we did with the banshee," Remy pointed out.

"I think we should focus more on getting the Sign off the armor, worry about stopping the armor later," Linos suggested.

"I agree," said Arran. "But be careful with your attacks. We don't want to trigger the Sign's power."

"I thought you said it was a defensive power," Mavis said, confused.

"It is, but it'll be much harder to take that suit of armor down if it activates the Sign's power."

Hou Yi cried out in pain as the suit of armor threw her into another wall for nearly a third time. Black blood trickled down her jaw from the corner of her mouth as she struggled to stand, using her bow as support. "We must fall back!" Jun cried, rushing to her side.

"W-we cannot!" she protested. "We cannot return empty handed!"

"The spirit possessing that armor is too powerful and we are useless to the master if we are dead. We must go, now!"

Hou Yi closed her eyes and groaned angrily. "Fine!" Jun offered to help her move, but she slapped his hand away. Hei and An covered their escape with a dual breath of black flames, suppressing the suit of armor long enough for them to make their escape. With them gone, the armor turned its attention back to the young teenagers and advanced on them. Arran and Linos took to the air while Mala raised a crystal barrier to protect herself and the others from the armor's attack. However, the force of its blow was much stronger than she thought as it smashed through her crystal wall. The force of the blow knocked her back roughly on the ground.

"Mala!" Drago rushed to Mala's side and helped her up as the armor advanced on them one again. Drago stood over his girlfriend protectively and breathed fire at their assailant, but the flames did little to stop it. Just as the armor raised its arms to strike, Linos swooped down and clawed at the suit with his taloned feet, knocking the helmet off. The armor stumbled back and Drago saw his moment of opportunity. Utilizing his dragon speed, he dashed up to the suit of armor and placed his hand over the Sign. He tried prying it off, but it remained stuck and to his shock, the light, emerald green crab insignia lit up brightly. Drago was pushed away by the force of the Sign activating and they all watched as a light green, transparent exoskeleton manifested around the suit of armor.

"Oh, so that's what it does," Mavis said casually.

The armor roared angrily and discarded its monk's spade in favor of this new, magical armor that encased its body. It ran towards Drago and Mala, raising its fist high into the air to crush them, but the Mala pulled Drago into the air to safety to avoid the hit. The armor's fist collided with the ground, creating an even larger impact crater than before. Remy pulled out his sword and moved to attack the suit, only to have his katana shatter on impact with the green exoskeleton. He gasped in surprise and couldn't avoid the fist hurtling towards him. The armor struck him right into the chest and sent him flying back several feet. Remy coughed and groaned as he struggled to sit up. He wiped the drop of blood that trickled down his chin before quickly grabbed his side in response to a sharp pain. The armor continued advancing on Remy, but Arran lured it away with his light arrows while Linos did the same with his sonic scream while the others attended to Remy.

"I was afraid of this!" Arran cried.

"How do we stop it?" Linos shouted, narrowly avoiding another one of the armor's attacks.

"The armor is impenetrable! Nothing can break through it and it greatly enhances the wearer's strength and durability," Arran explained.

"Yeah, we kinda figured that!" Drago called out.

"It's gotta have a weak point!" Mala cried.

Arran thought for a moment before gasping in realization. "There is!"

"What is it?" Linos asked.

"The entirety of the armor is impenetrable, yes. But, there is a weak point located directly over the lower abdomen. A single strike to that exact position will compromise the armor's structural integrity and cause it to crumble and break. The only problem is getting close enough to take the hit without being crushed."

"I can do that," Linos said, "Just keep it distracted!" The three demons nodded descended to engage the suit of armor while Mavis and Tim tended to the injured Remy. Drago engaged the suit, but kept himself at a safe distance so as not to get hit while Arran and Mala assaulted it from above with light arrows and crystal shards.

"Grr, why isn't this working!" Mavis shouted, holding the Winged Unicorn Coin up to Remy's chest.

"It's power is Purification, but I don't think that extends to healing physical injuries, Mavis," Tim noted.

"Guys, I think I broke something," Remy groaned in pain.

"Ok, ok, just don't move! Tim, don't you have a healing spell or something?"

"No! Do you have any idea how long those ingredients take to ferment?" Tim shouted back at her.

As the two argued, Drago lost his footing and fell back, allowing the suit of armor to advance on him. He didn't have any time to move out of the way so he simply raised his arms to shield himself. All of a sudden, Linos emerged from the shadow between Drago and the suit and plunged his fist right into the exoskeleton's abdomen. The suit froze, paralyzed by the strike, as the exoskeleton began cracking before completely breaking apart and dissipating. With his hand still over the suits abdomen, he moved up and grabbed the Sign tightly, ripping it from the chest plate as the suit fell back in pieces, lifeless.

"That was close," Linos grinned, offering his hand out to Drago.

"You weren't the one almost crushed," Drago replied, taking Linos' hand as his friend helped him up.

"Everyone ok?" Arran asked as he and Mala landed with everyone.

"Far from it!" Remy groaned as Tim and Mavis helped him up.

"Oh shit," Drago groaned.

"Yeah, he took a big hit from the armor. He'll definitely have some broken ribs, maybe some internal bleeding. If I had the Virgo Sign I could fix you up, but we better get you to a hospital," Arran said, opening a light portal as they all stepped through it.

* * *

Hou Yi and Jun cried out and doubled over in pain as Tzan Ren unleashed another bolt of black lightning onto the pair. "You had one job and you retreated?"

"We had no choice!" Jun gritted between the pain and struggled to speak. "Th-that armor, it was too powerful."

"We would have died!" Hou Yi added.

Tzan Ren stopped discharging lightning, allowing Jun and Hou Yi to catch their breaths for a moment.

"It was my call, master. I assessed the situation and made the decision to withdraw," Jun explained.

"I suppose you're both useless to me if you're dead. But I won't put Tchang Zu's lightning to waste," Tzan Ren said, unleashing another bolt of black lightning on the pair. "I went to a great deal to acquire these powers and it was so kind of me to bestow them onto my loyal servants. You would be wise to put my gift to proper use, Hou Yi. You as well, Wei," Tzan Ren said, addressing the golem that sat off to the side. "I expect nothing less than perfection from you next time!"

* * *

**Seriously guys, I'm still waiting for someone to pick up on this...**

**Other than that, it's funny you know? Originally, D-Sniper and I had concepted the Cancer Sign as manifesting a suit of literal, metal armor around the body. But as I was writing and visualizing the scene in my head, I felt it looked better if it was a transparent, exoskeleton, like Armor from X-Men! It's funny when you plan something one way but once you get to implementing it, you get a different idea of how to do things.**

**If I had to estimate, I'd say we have about 10 chapters left.**

**Next chapter: The group takes on a master thief in Paris, but everywhere he's broken in mysterious has nothing missing...**


	12. Seeing Double

**Yeah in a super writing mood right now :)**

* * *

Mala pushed the door into Arran's now-ready restaurant and held it open for Remy, who slowly crept in while still clutching his side. "You ok?" she asked.

"Yeah, docs said I just have to take it easy," Remy replied, putting his hand on the counter for support as he settled in one of the bar stools.

"So why'd you call us in?" Liam asked.

"Have any of you seen the news lately?" Arran asked.

"Pffft, who watches the news?" Mavis laughed.

"Ignore her," Tim said. "What's this about?"

Arran turned around and pointed to the TV that was situated right above the bar. He rewound the feed until he hit the beginning of the news. "Authorities are still baffled at the recent string of break ins all across Europe. Several museums have been broken into but what is most surprising is that nothing has been stolen! Museum staff conducted a full inventory of their priceless works of art and found that nothing was missing. Who could be behind these mysterious break ins?" When the report finished, Arran paused the TV and turned back to the six teens that simply looked at him blankly.

"Aaaannnd?" Drago asked.

"Several breaks ins, but not a single thing is stolen? Doesn't that strike you as a bit odd?" Arran asked.

"Absolutely, but why break in some place when you're not even going to steal anything?" Liam asked.

"Ah, but I believe something was stolen. How many of the Signs do we still have to find?" Arran asked.

"Um, don't tell me! I know this!" Mavis insisted.

"Virgo, Gemini and Scorpio," Tim listed off.

"You think one of the Signs has to do with this?" Remy asked.

"I do, particularly Gemini," said Arran.

"Oh! I know what's going on now! I gotcha," Mavis winked, tapping her nose with her index finger twice.

"Explain," Drago said.

"Oh my god, do I have to spell it out for you? Obviously we're dealing with some no good thief who's got a hold of the Gemini Sign. He breaks in to steal famous paintings and sculptures and uses the Gemini Sign to create exact copies of what he stole, which he leaves behind and no one's the wiser! As far as everyone's concerned, nothing was stolen but what they really have are just cheap copies while the thief has all the real stuff which he then sells for thousands and thousands of dollars! Am I right?" she asked Arran.

"That's exactly what I was thinking," he said.

"So where are we going to find this thief?" Tim asked.

"Well, I marked out all the places that have been broken into but had nothing stolen and my guess is, he'll be heading to France next. Plus I've picked up the Sign somewhere in Paris," he explained.

"He's probably going to the Louvre then. Do you know how many famous masterpieces are there alone?" Tim said.

"Oh this is exciting! Paris, the city of love!" Mala swooned.

"What makes it the city of love?" Drago huffed.

"Because it… because the sights and the language and…" Mala stammered before sighing in defeat. "Nevermind."

"All right, then. Let's go," Remy said, painfully pushing himself out of the stool.

"Whoa, whoa, you're not going anywhere," Arran stopped him. "You took a nasty hit from the Cancer Sign's armor and you're still not healed. If a fight breaks out and you get hit, you might make the injury worse."

"He's right, you should sit this one out," Mala added.

"Oh don't worry, I'll stay behind and make sure he doesn't do anything to hurt himself," Mavis said, moving over to Remy. She put her arm around his shoulders, but quickly withdrew it when he groaned in pain a bit. "What?" she asked, looking at the dumbfounded looks on their faces.

"You… sit this one out? You, Mavis 'always looking for a thrill' Callahan is willingly volunteering to not come with us to Paris to catch a master thief using a magical artifact to steal and possibly run into demons?" Tim asked, not believing what he was hearing.

"Uh, you guys are going to an art gallery. Major snorefest right there," Mavis said with a fake yawn of boredom.

"I'm sorry but did I somehow accidentally stumble into a rift in the space-time continuum and end up in an alternate dimension?" Mala asked.

"Please, I'd rather sit at home and babysit our little demon hunter than sit around in a boring art museum. Besides, I've been part of a good number of fights with the Shadow Legion already. Not gonna lie, kinda hit the quota when they attacked my house and tried to kill me and my brothers."

They all exchanged looks of confusion, still not believing that Mavis was volunteering to stay behind. "Well, if you're sure, Mavis," Liam said.

"I am, now shoo!" she said, ushering for them to leave. Just as Liam turned away, Mavis grabbed him by his scarf and pulled him back towards her. "Tell me every detail!" she whispered intensely with wide eyes and a serious look.

"Um… ok," Liam replied, prying Mavis' vice grip off his scarf.

Once the five of them disappeared into one of Arran's light portals, Mavis moved over to Remy and quickly took his arm. "Ok, you come with me!"

"Wait what? Ow, slow down!" Remy protested as Mavis pulled him out of the restaurant and to her house. She loosened her grip and didn't pull as hard when Remy protested in pain. "Ok, what's the big deal? You're seriously ok with sitting this one out?"

"Are you kidding? It's killing me inside that I'm missing the action!" she cried, digging her fingers into her hair. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to pass up on the action?"

"Ok so then what is this about?" Remy asked, sitting on her bed.

"Ok, this is a bit difficult for me to say. I mean, I've never really done anything like this before," she said, pacing back and forth in her room.

"I could really use some context right about now," Remy muttered.

"Ok, ok! I want you to train me," she said, sitting in front of him on her bed.

"Wh-what?" he asked, thinking he heard her wrong.

"I want you to train me," she repeated.

"Train you to what?"

"What do you think? Train me to fight!"

"Mavis, where is this coming from?"

"Ok, so ever since Hou Yi attacked my family, I've been feeling kinda… useless."

"Useless? Mavis you're not-"

"I know, I know. But if there's one thing I've learned from cartoons and movies, it's that the hero can only depend on their magic and gadgets for so long! Sure, I have the Coins with me all the time and I know how to use them. But what if, one day, I just don't have them? How am I going to defend myself in a fight? I mean, Liam, Mala and Drago all have their demon magic and killer fighting skills, Tim's a Chi Wizard and you've been trained to fight demons since you were a baby!"

"Technically since I was four," Remy corrected.

"Whatever. The point is, all of you guys can take care of yourselves in a fight. Me without the Coins? What hope do I have? So I'm asking, begging you to train me or at the very least, show me some moves!" she pleaded.

"Learning to fight is serious business, Mavis. I'm not sure if you have the discipline for it," he said.

"I do so have the discipline!" she argued.

"The Ryder Clan doesn't take on apprentices lightly, Mavis. Even my parents were strict with me. It's serious business."

"I can do serious! Come on, Remy just give me a chance! I'm not asking to become a Ryder hunter or anything, I just want to learn a few moves so I can defend myself in a fight!"

Remy sighed and stood up from the bed. He kept his back turned to Mavis as he thought about her request. "All right, fine!" he said, as Mavis happily squealed. She jumped off the bed and prepared to hug him but she stopped her. "But, I have a few conditions. One: you have to do everything I say."

"Yes sir!"

"Two: at no point can you make jokes about or mock me, the Ryder Clan or our traditions and customs."

"Aw, man you're really killing me here," she whined, but Remy gave her a serious glare and she conceded. "Fine fine, no jokes. Everyone's a critic," she muttered.

"And three: I expect one hundred percent dedication and effort. Do you agree to my terms?"

"Yes, but I have one condition of my own! I don't want the others to know about this. At least, not right now. Let's just keep this a secret between us ok?"

"Very well. We'll start with some basic forms."

* * *

"Tim, are you in yet?" Liam asked, hovering over Tim, who was busy typing away at his laptop. They were outside the Louvre in Paris in the middle of the night. If that thief was going to show up, it would be tonight.

"Liam, I'm smart and I'm good with computers. I can hack into the school's system and get any student's private information. But this is the Lourve! State of the art video surveillance and monitoring security system! I'm good, but I'm not that good!" Tim cried, closing his laptop.

"How do we even know he'll show up?" Drago asked, pacing back and forth impatiently. "And how do we even know he'll come here?"

"Drago, the Louvre is filled with some of the most famous paintings in the world! They'd be worth a fortune on the black market! I mean, the Mona Lisa is in there! Do you know how many people line up just to see that painting?" Mala cried.

"Why line up to see a painting when you can just look at it on the computer? I really don't get what the big hype is about," he replied.

"Drago does have a point though. We don't know that thief will even show up tonight," Arran added.

"Let me try something," Mala said. She reached for the orb around her neck as it expanded in her hands. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and returned the orb in its smaller form to its place around her neck. "Ok, so I'm still having some issues with the accuracy of my readings, but I'm… seventy eight percent sure that thief will show up tonight."

"Well until then, we might as well wait around," Arran said, sitting down on the bench next to Tim.

Mala sighed, "You know, I always wanted to come to Paris, but I didn't think it would be to catch a master thief." At her comment, Arran, Tim and Liam all looked at Drago, who simply returned their looks with a confused one of his own and a shrug.

"Hang on, I hear something," Liam said, stepping forward. He held up his hand to quiet his friends as he focused his hearing. Someone was here and moving fast.

"How do we know it's our thief?" Tim asked.

"Gimme a sec," said Liam. He closed his eyes and opened them again, activating his new sight power. He had gotten the hang of turning it on and off since the power suddenly manifested when they were in Ireland. "We've got five figures inside."

"Security guards," Arran said.

"Yeah. Hang on, there's someone else moving on the inside," Liam explained, watching as one of the figures moved up to the other. Whoever it was, they were crouching, as if they were sneaking around and trying not to be seen. It came up behind one of the other figures, which was seated, and struck him over the head. "I think our guy might already be inside. One of the people inside just knocked another guy out. Let's go." Liam switched into his demon form and wrapped his wings around his friends, submerging them into the shadows below and transporting them into the Louvre. They were in the security room where the wall was covered in tons of monitors on the wall showing sections of the museum. Slouched in the chair was a security guard and he wasn't moving.

Arran pressed his fingers against the guard's neck and sighed in relief, "He's just knocked out."

"I don't see him anywhere on the cameras," Drago said, looking at the monitors.

"He probably hacked into the system and is looping previous footage. That's what I'd do," said Tim.

They left the security room and carefully made their way through the Louvre as quickly as they could without making too much noise. Any guards they encountered, Linos knocked out and moved them aside. Linos slowly peeked his head around a corner and saw someone dressed head to toe in black crouched near by the glass case that held the Mona Lisa.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to take things that don't belong to you?" Mala asked. The thief gasped and sharply turned around to see the five of them staring at him with their arms crossed.

"Also, you have something that doesn't belong to you," Arran said, holding out his hand. He spotted the Gemini Sign in the thief's hand and narrowed his eyes in a serious glare. He took one step forward and the thief suddenly bolted to his right and made a run down the hall.

"Did he really just do that?" Drago asked.

"I think he thinks he can outrun us," Mala laughed.

"Man, no offense, but sometimes your kind can be a bit stupid," Linos said, spreading his wings and taking off down the hallway after the thief. Linos easily caught up to the thief and landed on him, pinning him to the ground. "Oh quit struggling; you're not gonna shake me off." The thief turned his head to look at Linos, only to shriek loudly and desperately trying to claw his way out from under Linos. "Hehe, look at this guy. You'd think he'd never seen a demon before."

"All right, Linos stop playing around with the thief already," Mala chastised.

"Oh, all right, all right," Linos stepped off but before the thief could take off, Drago grabbed him roughly by the arms and pushed him up against the way.

"Yeah, that's perfect. We can leave him here and let the authorities catch him. Then I'm sure once they search your place, they'll find everything you stole," Mala said. She placed her hand against the wall. Crystals spread from her hand and across the wall, encasing the thief's torso and keeping the thief pinned in place. Arran moved further down the hall where the Gemini Sign had slid after Linos tackled the thief and picked it up.

"All right, get us out of here," Arran said, turning to Linos, who nodded and teleported them back outside with his shadow powers.

"You know, if Mavis was here, she'd say how remarkably easy that was," Tim commented.

"Well, what did you expect? The guy who had the Sign was just some regular thief and it's not like he could have taken us on even with the Sign," Drago pointed out.

"You do have a point. I guess we're just used to fighting either the Shadow Legion or spirits that haven't passed. It's honestly nice to have an easy one for once," Mala added.

"I'm just glad we got it back. Actually, I should probably dispel all those duplicates that thief made," Arran said. He pulled out the Gemini Sign and gave it a tight squeeze, causing the golden emblem of two women to light up before it dimmed.

"Nothing happened," Drago noted.

"Well nothing here happened. But every copy that thief ever made with this is gone. Once the authorities find him inside and search his place, he'll be going away for quite some time."

"Still can't believe it was that easy," Tim said.

"Oh, was it too easy for you? Allow me to make it a bit harder for you." All five of them looked ahead to see Hou Yi, Jun and Hei and An.

"Ok, if Mavis was here, she definitely would have said something to that," remarked Tim.

Jun took a few seconds to look around, puzzled at the absence of a certain individual. "Where is Remington?" he asked.

"Sorry to disappoint, but he couldn't make it today," Linos answered.

"Too bad," Jun remarked, pulling out his star sword.

Without another word, the two groups leapt forward into battle. Hou Yi immediately singled Arran out while Jun and the dogs fought everyone else. "Give me the Sign, Light-Bringer!" she declared, drawing her bow.

"You'll have to pry it from my cold, dead hands!" Arran shouted back, transforming into his demon form and drawing an arrow in response. The two archers began running around each other, each firing an arrow while dodging shots from the other. Arran summoned his light wings and took to the skies, firing down on Hou Yi. She dashed and rolled out of the way, but one of the arrows caught her cloak and pinned her to the ground. She looked up as more light arrows came down on her, but she blasted them away with a gust of her shadow wind. With another wave of her hand, she sent a gust of wind to knock Arran aside in mid-air. He struggled to regain his balance as the wind pushed him back. When he finally stabilized himself, he was too late to notice the three arrows flying right up to him. He quickly raised his arms to shield himself as the arrows pierced his arms. Arran cried out and fell to the ground and the Gemini Sign rolled out of his hand. Hou Yi smirked and thrust her hand out, commanding the wind to bring her the Sign. "It may not be from your cold, dead hands, but it'll have to do," she smirked confidently.

"No!" Arran shouted for her to stop.

She looked down at the Sign and squeezed it in the palm of her hand tightly. The sigil lit up and all of a sudden, five identical copies of Hou Yi manifested beside her. "Now this one, I like." On her mark, she and her five copies drew their bows. Arran opened a light portal and stepped through, appearing behind them before the arrows could hit him. He generated a small orb of light in his hand and threw it out in front of the army of Hou Yis. The orb exploded, unleashing a blinding, white light. The light didn't bother Arran and he looked to the ground, but frowned when he saw all six Hou Yis casting shadows.

"Dammit, I should've known that wouldn't work. They're physical duplicates not holographic projections," Arran muttered to himself.

"Haha, nice try," said one.

"But can you figure out..."

"...which one of us…"

"...is real?"

Arran looked all around him as the Hou Yi duplicates danced around him. As soon as he caught sight of one, it would disappear and another would take its place, only to disappear again and be replaced by another. He was trying to focus, trying to think of a way around this. Sure, the Signs belonged to him. Nobody knew their powers better than he did, well except for his mother at least. But even so, there were still some things he didn't know about the Signs. Gemini could create perfect duplicates of anything! There was no way to tell the difference between them unless you had the Gemini Sign in hand to dispel the duplicate!

"Catch us…"

"...if you can!" they taunted, disappearing into separate directions.

Arran glared angrily at the Hou Yis. If he couldn't dispel them now, but there was one other way to tell the real Hou Yi from the fakes. He quickly drew his bow and shot three arrows, each hitting one of the Hou Yi clones in the back. They all froze for a minute before turning white and disappearing in an instant. He turned around to the other three, who were already far away from him. He took off into the air and fired at another, destroying it as well. He caught sight of the last one running through an alley and shot Hou Yi in the shoulder from behind. The force of the shot knocked her down and the Gemini Sign rolled out of her hand into the street on the sidewalk. Arran quickly landed and took the Sign in his hand and smiled.

"Hehe." Arran's head shot up when he heard Hou Yi laughing. "It's not that easy," she sang. Arran gasped as the Hou Yi that crouched before him disappeared. He looked down at the Sign in his hand only to see it disappear as well.

"No!" Arran cried, desperately looking around for the sixth Hou Yi that was nowhere to be found.

Down the street a couple blocks away, Hou Yi peeked around the corner and grinned widely at the sight of Arran fretting over falling for her ruse. "Hm… You're quite useful. Maybe I'll keep you to myself!" She tucked the Sign into her armor and dashed off back to Jun, ordering them all to retreat.

"Did they get away?" Arran cried, landing in front of everyone.

"Yeah, did you get the Sign?" Tim asked.

"No, Hou Yi tricked me with my own Sign. I can't believe I fell for it! I'm such a fool!" Arran yelled at himself.

"It's ok, Arran. We'll get Gemini back along with Aries and Aquarius," Mala said, placing a reassuring hand on Arran's shoulder.

"Yeah, don't worry. And before you know it, we'll all be enjoying a victory party at your restaurant!" Linos added.

Mala's expression instantly fell, recalling the grim vision that she kept seeing over and over again… where Linos dies. She still hadn't been able to see anything different from that and she still hadn't told Linos anything about her visions or his impending doom. Her mother never said a word about the vision she saw of Mala dying! Was it because you weren't supposed to tell someone about their future? Sure that was an established rule in fiction, but this was real life! If she knew something bad was going to happen to Linos, she should tell him, shouldn't she? Unless telling him is what causes that vision to come true… Mala never wished more than now for her mother to be here because she didn't know what to do.

* * *

"Ok, that's enough for today," Remy said. He sat up and held out his hand, signalling for Mavis to stop. "I didn't expect this, but you're actually getting the hang of these forms pretty quickly."

"Well, nice to know you had faith in me, sensei," Mavis remarked with her eyebrow cocked and hands on her hips.

"You know I didn't mean it like that! And stop calling me sensei; I'm Chinese, not Japanese," he protested.

"Fine, fine. Sifu?" she asked.

"It's really not necessary," he insisted. "I'm just showing a few forms and moves as a friend. I'm not actually training you to be a Ryder slayer."

"Fine," Mavis whined, "So what's next?"

"Well, keep practicing those forms and make sure your posture is proper. I know what you're thinking and no, we are not starting with weapons."

"Awwww, why not?"

"No offense, Mavis, but my gut is telling me that I shouldn't give you a sword, at least not until I know you know how to use it properly."

"Well then when do I get a sword?" she asked.

"When I know you're ready. For now, we're learning the basics of hand-to-hand combat. That's where we started."

"We?" Mavis asked, confused.

"Me and my brother."

"You didn't tell us you have a brother!" she shouted.

"Yeah, well, we're not exactly close. We haven't seen or spoken to each other since our parents died."

* * *

Tzan Ren's punishment was gruelling. He was most displeased that his Commanders had failed yet again to acquire one of the Signs. He was getting desperate, which only made Tzan Ren more frustrated. When he finally finished unleashing his shadow lightning on them, Jun noticed Hou Yi sneak off on her own. Suspicious, he followed her.

Hou Yi looked around to make sure she was alone before pulling out the Gemini Sign. She smirked as she brushed her fingers over the face of the Sign. "I'll put you to good use," she grinned.

"What do you think you're doing?" Hou Yi turned around sharply and hid the Sign behind her back as she turned to face Jun.

"What do you want?" she hissed at him.

Jun said nothing as he advanced towards her and roughly pulled her arm from behind her back, revealing the Gemini Sign tightly in her grasp. "You lied to the master," he realized.

"Oh don't be all high and mighty with me, Jun! I will put this Sign to better use than master will. He has Aries and Aquarius and what has he done with them? Nothing!" she shouted, pulling her hand from his grip. "So, what are you going to do now? Go and tell master so that I'll be demoted again?"

"No," he said.

"No?" Hou Yi was taken aback. "W-why not?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"I'll keep your secret, Hou Yi. It makes little difference to me in whose hands the Signs end up."

"And why would you agree to help me?"

"Because I want you to help me with something. Do this, and I won't breathe a word to master about your… deception."

Hou Yi glared at him, but considered his offer. If Tzan Ren found out that she lied and was hiding the Sign from him, he would do so much more than punish and demote her. She hated Jun and she hated having to work with him, but she didn't have much of a choice if she needed to save her own skin. Begrudgingly, she asked him, "What do you want me to do?"

* * *

**Now the next chapter is one that I've been super excited about. I literally wrote it all today after I finished up this chapter. But alas, I will have to wait a bit before I post so y'all can leave your comments :)**

**Next chapter: Remy deals with someone he hasn't spoken to in eight years.**


	13. Different Paths Part 1

**God, guys I have just been on a City Shadows buzz! The next chapter's all ready to go to, but I don't like to post chapters too close to each other. So I'll give it a few days before I post the next one. For now, please enjoy this new chapter :) I know I enjoyed writing it! Keep those comments coming, you know I love them! The more the merrier and the stronger my writing mood gets :D**

* * *

"I'm telling you, this movie is going to change the entire genre! Paradigm altering! We have to go see it!" Mavis exclaimed as she and her friends strolled down the street towards Arran's restaurant.

"What makes you say that?" Liam asked.

"Well… new movies always change genres! Sh-shut up! I don't need you poking holes in my logic!"

"Well I'm looking forward to seeing _The Da Vinci Code_! I read the book and the trailers looked really good," said Mala.

"Oh, yeah, me too!" Tim added.

"Pass! Who wants to watch a movie about art and history? I get enough of world history from school and even that's too much!" Mavis whined.

"Um, that's not what the book is about, at least not entirely," Mala said.

"You actually might like it! It's got conspiracy theories, mystery, murders," Tim listed off.

"That honestly sounds like its right up your alley," Drago added.

"Conspiracy theories and murder mysteries… All right, all right, we'll give it a chance," she conceded. When they reached Arran's restaurant, they pulled the door open and sat down in their usual booth.

Outside, a silver car pulled up a block away and parked next to the sidewalk. The driver inside was a thin, young man with short, neatly cut hair and bright green eyes. Said green eyes were staring intently at the group of friends that entered the restaurant. Once they were inside, the driver put his head on the wheel and sighed. He took in a deep breath and stepped out of his car before moving towards the restaurant entrance himself.

"So how're you doing, Remy?" Tim asked.

"Better, actually. Thanks for asking. I can move around just fine, but I'm still a little sore every now and then," he answered, "Should be just fine to fight during our next scuffle."

The door to the restaurant opened as someone stepped in. "Oh, I'm sorry but we're not open to the public yet," Arran called to the guest. "I'm afraid we won't be open until our grand opening next week. You're welcome to come back then!"

"Sorry, but I'm just looking for someone," the person spoke.

Remy's head shot up, recognizing the voice as the others poked their heads out of the booth to get a look at the newcomer in the restaurant. They watched intently as the person came over to them while Remy simply kept his eyes glued to the table. Without looking, he stepped out of the booth and slowly turned to face the person walking up to him.

"Remy," the boy spoke.

"Reggie," Remy replied. The resemblance between the two boys was uncanny. Except for the different hairstyles, they both had bright green eyes and similar facial structures. The other major difference was that this other boy had a scar on the side of his head by his left eyebrow.

"Remy, who is this guy?" Liam asked.

"Guys, this is my brother, Reginald Ryder," he introduced.

"Twin brother," Reggie added.

"TWIN?" they all exclaimed with wide eyes and dropped jaws.

"Can we talk? Privately?" Reggie asked.

"Talk? We've gone eight years without talking and you wanna ruin that streak now?" Remy retorted, crossing his arms.

"Remy, please, don't be childish," his brother pleaded.

"Me, childish?" Remy closed his eyes and quickly took in a deep calming breath. "Fine, you wanna talk? Let's talk then. Outside," he said. Reggie nodded and as the brothers made their way towards the door, Remy quickly turned back to his friends and held out his hand. "Stay," he commanded. They exited the restaurant and moved around the corner away from the windows. Reggie was about to speak, but Remy held up his hand to stop him. He took a few steps back to the window and banged on it with his fist, startling his friends who were gathered right against it. "No eavesdropping!" he shouted. He moved back to his brother and crossed his arms, "Just say what you came here to say."

"Is that any way to treat your brother, Remy? I know you and I never really got along and it's been eight years, but we're still family!"

"You can cut the crap, Reg. You had eight years worth of chances to come and say 'hi', so why now? I know Ren couldn't have sent you."

"Ren had nothing to do with this. You know she's as obsessed with this nonsense as you are."

"Nonsense?" Remy exclaimed. "It's not nonsense!"

"Oh please! What kind of parents force their four year old sons to learn how to fight and slay demons? Demons don't exist, Remy!"

"Yes, they do, Reg!"

"No, they don't! Mom and dad were obsessed with all that nonsense. Their parents filled their heads with fantasies and lies just like mom and dad did with yours! I was hoping you'd be smart enough to see through it."

"I see just fine, Reg. I don't need you to see for me and I don't need you to tell me what to do."

"Remy please, mom and dad deprived us of a normal childhood. We shouldn't have been learning how to use swords and magic. We should have been going to school, real school to learn real skills for the real world! You're accomplishing nothing going around chasing something that doesn't exist!"

"Mom and dad didn't deprive us of anything! They were compassionate, smart and they loved us! And if you can't see that, then you didn't love them like I did!" Remy shouted, pointing a finger at his brother in accusation.

"That's not fair, Remy! Don't you dare! Don't you ever say I didn't love mom and dad!" Reggie shouted, slapping away Remy's pointed finger. "I did love them, but they were misguided fools obsessed with old family legends. Even if demons existed back then, they don't exist now! Its time to grow up and live in the real world!"

"If all you wanted was to come here and yell at me then you're wasting your time. I'm a Ryder slayer, Reggie. That's never going to change," Remy said with a serious glare. He turned away, but Reggie grabbed his arm to stop his brother.

"I didn't come here to yell at you, Remy. Please just hear me out! I came here to talk some sense into you. You can't go around chasing myths and fairy tales. That's not going to get you a stable and financially secure life! This is the real world, Remy. There's no demons, no magical solutions, only the real world with real problems. You should be getting a real education, get a job and support yourself! I just came here to make sure you know how to take care of yourself."

"I do know how to take care of myself. I don't need my big brother to give me a lecture on how to live my life. Mom and dad gave you the option to quit your training and you took it. That was your choice for your life. Well, this is the life I choose and nothing you say or do will change my mind."

"But Remy!" Reggie tried to stop Remy from leaving, but his brother tore his hand from his grip.

"No! You and I made the decision years ago after mom and dad died that we didn't want to be part of each other's lives anymore. You went to live with our aunt and uncle and I went to live with Ren. You forfeited our heritage for a 'normal' life," he said with air quotes, "and I chose to continue my training to avenge our parents and uphold the legacy of our family."

"Mom and dad were killed by a burglar, not a demon!" Reggie shouted.

"It was a demon! I don't know if you just weren't looking or if you seriously believe your own delusions about demons not being real."

"I told you, Remy, I never saw a thing."

"Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it's not real," Remy said. "Look, it was… nice… to see you again Reg, but I think you should go. You and I are better off far away from each other."

"Remy!" Reggie called, trying to get his brother to come back, but Remy ignored him and went back into the restaurant. When he stepped inside, he saw his friends all crowded around the window near where he and Reggie were speaking.

"Do you see them?" Drago asked.

"What are they doing?" Mala asked.

"I dunno! It's hard to see from this angle!" Mavis cried. All five of them turned to their door when they heard Remy cleared his throat.

"So much for not eavesdropping," he muttered, settling back into his seat.

"We weren't eavesdropping, I swear!" Liam promised. "Didn't even use my super hearing."

"We were just… trying to watch," Mavis admitted. "Yeah, I'm sorry, I couldn't think of anything else."

"So, that was your brother?" Tim asked. Remy nodded.

"Why didn't you tell us you have a brother?" Mala asked.

"Because Reggie and I haven't spoken to each other for eight years, not since our parents died."

"What happened between you two, if you don't mind us asking," Liam asked.

"We… had a disagreement. The thing with me and Reggie is we never got along, even before our parents died."

"How come you guys didn't get along?" asked Mala. "You guys are brothers, twins, even. Shouldn't that mean you two are close?"

"Ha! Spoken like an only child," Mavis laughed.

"Its simple. I wanted to be a Ryder hunter; I embraced our family traditions and legacy, but he didn't. We started training when we were four and when it came to fighting, I was always better. You saw that scar on the side of his head right? Next to his eyebrow? That was from me," he said, pointing to the side of his own head to illustrate where the scar was. "It wasn't on purpose," he quickly added. "I just made my move and he didn't block in time. It was an accident, but he always thought that I did it intentionally."

"Well, I'm sure he doesn't hate you for that," Mala said, placing her hand on Remy's arm.

"He didn't have to say it for me to know he resented me for that scar. His angry and bitter glares said enough. But, you give my brother too much credit, Mala. Besides, that scar was just the start of it. He wasn't a natural fighter like me and more importantly, he didn't believe."

"In himself?" Liam asked.

"In demons," Remy corrected.

"He… doesn't believe in demons? I'm sorry, but did he miss the three of us?" Drago asked, motioning to himself, Mala and Liam with his hand.

"Well, while we were growing up we never actually saw any demons; the only ones we saw were pictures in books. The first demon I saw was the one that killed our parents. Reggie didn't see it since it disappeared before he got there. I believed everything my parents taught me about demons and magic and the Ryder Clan's duty to the world and seeing that demon up close with my own eyes only solidified those beliefs in me. But Reggie thought it was all nonsense and not seeing that demon only solidified those beliefs in him. He thought our parents were fools that were obsessed with myths of old. The second he was given the choice, he abandoned his training so he could live in the 'real' world. He went to live with our aunt and uncle, who weren't slayers, while I went to live with my cousin. I finished the rest of my training under her tutelage."

"Wow, I believed in demons and magic before I even found out any of it was real!" Mavis exclaimed.

"Why didn't you just tell him about us? Surely that would have been proof enough," Liam suggested.

"Your identities aren't my secrets to just give away, even if it's to my twin brother. If he wants to live in his little world of ignorance, I'll let him. They say ignorance is bliss, after all."

"I still can't believe this…" Mavis muttered. "You had a twin brother this whole time, and you didn't tell me about it!" She practically leapt out of her seat and reached across the table, grabbing the collar of Remy's black shirt.

"I already told you I have a brother!" Remy argued.

"Yeah, but you neglected to include the information that he is your twin brother!" she shook him as she spoke. "Do you have any idea all the twin related hijinks I could have been up to this whole time?"

"I'm… sorry?"

"Oh, forget it!" she sighed, pushing him away and pushing herself back off the table and into her seat. "It wouldn't have worked anyway. You two have different hairstyles and Reggie's got that sick scar. Twin hijinks only work if you look identical, and I mean identical!" Mavis huffed, crossing her arms and pouting.

"So why'd he show up out of the blue?" Drago asked.

"What do you think? Typical older siblings rant about how I'm wasting my life chasing some stupid fantasy and that I should grow up and live in the real world," Remy complained.

"He obviously hasn't seen you fight a demon before," Tim remarked.

"Either way, he thought he could just waltz in here and tell me how to run my life. I get that he's concerned, but he doesn't know the whole story."

"Then tell him!" Mala encouraged, lightly nudging his shoulder.

"It wouldn't make much of a difference, in my opinion. Reggie and I never got along and I doubt we're going to start now."

Remy had kept to himself for the rest of the day and there was no doubts over what was the cause. Seeing his brother again after so long clearly shook something in him and despite their attempts to get Remy to talk and open up to them, he pushed them away. He finally came out of his room after a while only to announce that he was going to go for a walk and wanted to be alone. Once he left, his friends took the opportunity to discuss what was on their mind.

"Maybe he just needs some time to himself. Sometimes people like to solve their problems on their own," Mala suggested.

"Maybe, but I don't like the way he's isolating himself. It's making me worry," Tim said.

"It's making us all worry," Liam added, sitting on the couch of their apartment while everyone else sat with him around the coffee table.

Mavis noticed they were all suddenly looking at her. "What?"

"Well, we thought you might have some insight on this," Mala said.

"Me, insight? You do know who you're talking to right?"

"You are the only other person in our group with brothers. All of us are only children. None of us have any siblings so we don't know what its like to deal with them," Drago said.

"It's not really that different from having other friends really, you just see them more often and live with them twenty-four/seven. There's this bond between you from the moment you're born and even though you sometimes drive each other off the deep end, you still love each other and you know they're there for you. But that's just me and my brothers. Remy and Reggie's case seems a lot more complicated, since, you know, demon hunter heritage and all."

"Remy's been gone for a while. I think I'll go try and find him," Mala said, sitting up from the couch and leaving the apartment. She tried calling his cellphone, but it went straight to voicemail each time. Remy clearly didn't want to be disturbed. Mala sighed and began walking through the city until she made it to the park. Once she got there, she spotted Reggie standing by the edge of the lake, skipping stones across the surface of the water. She walked over him and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hi," she smiled.

"Oh, uh, hi there," he replied, turning back to throw another stone. Before he could finish his throw, however, he turned back and around and looked at her. "Wait, you're one of Remy's friends, aren't you? I saw you in that restaurant with him," he asked.

"Yeah, Mala Reid," she said, holding out her hand.

"Reginald Ryder, but you can just call me Reggie," he said, shaking her hand.

"So, Remy never told us he had a brother," she said, standing next to him.

"Yeah, I'm not surprised. We're not that close but I was hoping to fix that by coming here. I didn't expect Remy to have any friends, though, let alone five. No offence to you or anything, it's just that, he never really seemed like the type to have friends. Remy just always felt like a solo kind of guy. Even when we were kids he always preferred being by himself."

"Well, it seemed that way at first with us. When we first met, we weren't exactly on the best of terms with him. Let's just say we all butted heads with him a good number of times. But we got to know him, he got to know us and soon enough he joined our little group."

"He definitely looked happy with all of you."

"I think he is. When we met him, he was rude, arrogant and real pain in our butt. But now he's more compassionate, thoughtful and thinks things through. He's a much better person now than when we first met him. So why did you come to the city to find him?" she asked.

"It's complicated. But, I wanted to talk some sense into Remy. I can't say too much, but I'm not fond of how he's choosing to spend his life."

"Ah." Mala could tell Reggie was refraining from mentioning all the Ryder Clan business. She knew all about it of course, but he didn't know that. "Well, I don't know what its like to have an older brother or any siblings for that matter, but I don't think you have to worry about Remy. He's happy with how he's living."

"He was always stubborn, but if I had to be honest, I didn't expect him to listen to me when I came here. I still worry about my little brother, but I think I have less to worry about if he's got good friends like you who care about him," Reggie smiled at her.

"We do care about him," she confirmed.

"Good, just... keep him out of trouble, will you? Well, it was nice meeting you, Mala. Thanks for the talk. I think it helped." Mala nodded and smiled at him as she watched him walk away. When Reggie made it back to his car, he rested his forehead against the wheel and sighed once more. Today hadn't gone at all like he planned. He didn't want to give up on his brother, but Remy wasn't giving him much of a choice. He sighed once more before starting up his car and driving off.

* * *

"What are we supposed to be doing?" Hou Yi complained as she and Jun perched on the roof of a building.

"Just stay quiet and watch," he said. Hou Yi followed his line of sight at two boys with dark hair arguing in the street below.

"The slayer!" she cried, readying her bow.

"No!" he stopped, putting his hand over her bow and lowering it. "You want me to keep your secret? Then you will do exactly as I say, understand? Do that, and my lips are sealed."

Hou Yi glared at him and growled under her breath, but complied and lowered her bow. "Who is that he's talking to? Not one of Linos' friends. I've never seen him before."

"I've never seen him before either. But look at the crest on his clothes: that's the Ryder Clan symbol. And judging by the strong resemblance he has with Remington, I'd wager they're related. Cousins or even brothers, at best."

"So, what does that mean then?" she asked, growing impatient.

"I want to fight Remington, one on one, no distractions, no interruptions. But I can't do that when he's always accompanied by his friends."

"And what do you want me to do about it?"

"Simple: capture his brother and Remington will come to me."

"What makes you so sure? They don't sound like they're enjoying each other's company," Hou Yi pointed out.

"Getting along or not, the two are family or at the very least, comrades part of the same clan. Remy's honor will force him to come and rescue him regardless. We'll follow the brother for now and take him when he's alone."

Later that night, Reggie stopped by a small cafe to grab a cup of coffee for the long drive home. It was the middle of the night and the streets were practically empty. He pulled out of his parking spot and started driving and pressed down on his brakes suddenly when he noticed a pedestrian step out into the street right in front of him. "Sorry! I didn't see you!" he called. The pedestrian was hooded, obscuring their face. But when they turned to face him, he could see a pair of bright red, glowing eyes from beneath the hood. "What the…" Before he could question what was going on, something ripped the driver side door off its hinges. Reggie flinched in response and backed away as a sword suddenly came towards him and sliced through the seat belt. A four fingered, blue hand shot in and grabbed his sweater, pulling him out of the car. Reggie gasped with wide eyes as he looked down at the blue-skinned, red-eyed being that held him in the air. "Wh-what are you?" he cried.

"Hm? I'm surprised a Ryder like you doesn't know," Jun mused as he drew Reggie in close to whisper in his ear. "I'm a demon." With that, he dropped Reggie on the ground and before he could scramble up to run off, Jun took his sword handle and whacked him on the back of his head. Reggie fell to the ground, unconscious as Jun lifted Reggie up and hoisted him over his shoulder. "Send the message," he said to Hou Yi.

* * *

Remy sat out on the fire escape right outside his room. He still wasn't over seeing his brother today and it left him in a sour mood. It would have been incredibly easy to just ask one of his friends to change into their demon form and prove to Reggie that demons were real and he wasn't wasting his life. But, like he told his friends, that wasn't his secret to expose and if Reggie was content living in a world where he didn't think demons were real, then fine. He sighed as he flipped through the pages of an old photo album filled with pictures of him and his family before his parents' death. There were a few early pictures of him and Reggie when they were little, before Reggie got his scar… before their relationship went downhill. It seemed like a fantasy itself to think that at one point, he and Reggie liked each other. But that was the past…

All of a sudden, an arrow came out of nowhere and struck the brick wall right next to Remy's head. He flinched and quickly shot up, trying to get a glimpse of the shooter, but it was too dark and there was no one in sight. Then, he noticed a note tied around the arrow. Carefully, he reached out and removed the note from the arrow. He rolled it open and noticed the Chinese writing. Thankfully, he knew how to read Chinese characters.

"Remington, if you want your brother back, come to Warehouse D by the pier and come alone. Signed, Jun Bing." When he finished reading the letter, Remy gasped and stared at its words wide-eyed. It couldn't be saying the truth, it just couldn't. But… Remy couldn't risk it. If this was Jun's way of getting them alone to fight, it was truly despicable, bringing in someone innocent like his brother! Remy wouldn't stand for this! He crawled back into his room and as quietly as he could, dressed in his hunter gear and stocked all his weapons. He carefully opened his door slightly and peeked through. He could see Liam sleeping, clinging to the roof with his large bat wings wrapped around him and he could hear Drago's snoring from his room. "Sorry guys," he whispered, shutting his door and climbing out onto the fire escape. He jumped over the rail and landed on the street below to where his motorcycle was parked. He rolled it away a few blocks before starting the engine, not wanting the noise to accidentally stir his sleeping roommates, before racing off towards the pier.

* * *

**Just keep in mind guys that this story is set in the summer of 2006, keeping in with the timeline that we've established from the canon. It's hard when we want to reference something in pop culture cuz we have to check if it came out yet with regards to the story's timeline XD**

**I knew from day one when we conceived this as part of the story that Mavis would just be mad at Remy for keeping his twin from her. She seems like the kind of person who would commit twin hijinks with either her own twin (if she had one) or a pair of twins she had access to. Literally my fav line in the chapter XD**


	14. Different Paths Part 2

**Man, did I keep you guys waiting! This chapter's just sitting on my computer all done and I kept it from you for a week XD I'm so evil. And if you didn't think I'm evil now, you probably will later towards the end.**

**Anyway, enjoy the conclusion to this two parter!**

* * *

Reggie groaned sleepily as he slowly woke up. He didn't remember pulling over to a motel for the night or anything. Maybe he just took a nap in his car? But then, why did he feel so cold? It didn't feel like he was sleeping in the soft seat of his car; instead it felt like he was sleeping outside or on the cold floor of an old building. His eyes shot open and he looked at his surroundings. He didn't recognize where he was, but from the looks of it, he was in an old warehouse. It was mostly empty save for a few piled up boxes and leftover sheets of metal caked in layers of dust. The smell of the water told him that he was probably down by the pier. But what happened? The last thing he remembered was getting in his car to leave the city. He had come to talk some sense into his younger twin brother, but with little success.

"Oww…" he groaned, feeling a sore pain on the back of his head. He moved his hand to feel it, but found that his hands were tied firmly behind his back with rope. He pushed himself up into a seated position with his elbow and saw that his feet were bound together as well. He struggled against the binds, but they were tight and he could already feel the ropes cutting and burning into his skin.

"I wouldn't waste your energy, if I were you" Reggie looked behind him and saw a cloaked woman emerge from the shadows. "Remember me?" she asked. Reggie narrowed his eyes, focusing in on her before it all came flooding back to him. He was driving and stopped when he almost hit an old woman. Only, it wasn't an old woman.

"Wh-who are you? What are you?" he cried fearfully, his pulse racing faster with each step the woman took towards him. He tried to move away, but couldn't get far with his hands and feet bound.

"Why, I would expect a Ryder slayer like yourself to know. The red eyes should be a dead giveaway," she said, reaching down towards him and grabbing him by the collar of his sweater and shirt in one hand and lifting him off the ground.

"S-slayer? What are you talking about?"

"Do not pretend with me, human! You wear the Ryder sigil on your clothes! You are one of their slayers. You clan as contributed to the extermination of countless numbers of my kind!" she shouted.

"Y-you mean… y-you're a…?" Reggie exhaled shakily.

"A demon? Yes. I am Hou Yi, a Commander of the Shadow Legion," she said, dropping Reggie roughly on the cold floor of the warehouse.

"But… but that's impossible! Demons aren't real!" he protested.

"Are you saying I am not real?" Hou Yi accused, pushing Reggie onto his back with her foot and pinning him where with her foot on his shoulder. "I am as real as the air you breath, you pathetic little insect! Did your clan teach you nothing?|

Reggie simply stared up at this purple-skinned woman with red eyes claiming to be a demon. He could barely believe it… All those times his parents talked about demons, they were right! He always thought they were just crazy fools obsessed with old myths and legends, but Reggie couldn't deny the hard evidence right in front of him. His entire world felt like it was crashing down on him! Everything he thought he knew was wrong! All those times he called them and Remy crazy fools. Reggie felt his chest tighten as he was suddenly washed with a pang of guilt to all the things he said to them.

"Heh, can you believe this Jun? A Ryder slayer that doesn't think demons are real?" Hou Yi asked as a second figure emerged from the shadows. Reggie quickly recognised this one as the one who pulled him out of his car and knocked him out.

"P-please just let me go! I'm not even a hunter!" Reggie cried.

"Get off him, Hou Yi, it's not like he's going to get very far anyway," Jun said, pulling her off Reggie. "You wear the Ryder crest, yet you are not a slayer?" he asked, kneeling next to Reggie as he pointed to the crest on his sweater.

"Just because I was born into the clan doesn't mean I'm a slayer!" Reggie argued.

"And why not?"

"I-I didn't think any of it was true: demons, the legacy of hunting them since ancient times? It sounded too crazy to be real!"

"You didn't believe?" Jun asked and Reggie shook his head. "And what do you believe now?"

"I-I don't know," he whispered.

"A burden many share, sadly."

"Oh enough of this! Let's just kill him and be done with it! I didn't come here to make small talk with humans!" Hou Yi shouted impatiently.

"No, you came here because I promised to keep your deception to our master a secret. If you wish that to still be so, then you will do as I say, Hou Yi! Or did you want master to find out that you lied about what happened to the Gemini Sign and have been keeping it for yourself?" Hou Yi inhaled sharply and swiftly turned away, leaving the situation rather than acting out. "That's what I thought."

"Well, I'm tired of waiting around. I already sent your message to the slayer! What is taking him so long? Maybe he's not coming?" she suggested.

"No, he will come. Even if there is nothing between them, Remington will not allow an innocent to die by my hand. Honor will demand he comes."

"Remington? What do you want with my brother?" Reggie shouted, sitting up.

"Brother? I suspected you two had to be related. The resemblance between you both is uncanny," Jun remarked.

"We're twins," Reggie muttered with a glare. "Why do you want my brother?"

"Simple: I wish to fight him. I have battled many warriors in my lifetime, even one of your slayer ancestors, but none have proven to be as resilient and challenging as your brother."

"Then why not just walk up to him and ask? Why go through all this trouble?" Reggie shouted.

"Heh, were it so easy. I needed to get Remington alone. Circumstances so far have been largely unfavorable and I cannot get a fair duel with him when his friends will always be around to interfere. Rest assured, you will remain unharmed. Once I've had my battle with your brother, you will be released and free to go, regardless of the outcome."

Reggie was about to shout something in protest, but all three were alerted by the sound of an approaching vehicle. "Someone's coming," Hou Yi alerted, readying her bow.

A black and green motorcycle came into view through the open warehouse doors with a rider dressed in the same colors. The hum of the motorcycle died down and the rider stepped off, angrily tearing off his helmet and tossing it aside as he walked into the warehouse. "Kidnap my brother, Jun? Kidnap my brother? Now you've gone too far!" Remy shouted, pulling out his collapsible jian and katana.

"Relax, I never intended to hurt him. I simply needed something to draw you away from your friends so we could fight uninterrupted."

Remy turned to Reggie and his expression softened. "You ok, Reg?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm ok," he exhaled.

"We'll, I'm here now, aren't I? Let him go!"

"No," Jun said, "We fight first and then I release him."

"For someone who's been spouting about their honor every time we fight, this has got to be the most dishonorable thing you've done! But then again, I suppose I should have expected this kind of act from someone of the Shadow Legion."

"I am not here as the Shadow Legion, Remington."

"My brother didn't choose the life of a hunter like I did! He's just a civilian!"

"I did not wish to drag your family into this, but I needed to get you alone. You have my apologies," Jun said sincerely.

"I don't want your apology! I want my brother!" Remy shouted, pointing at them with his sword.

"And you may have him, but only after we've had our duel."

Remy inhaled sharply and sighed, glaring angrily at Jun. "Fine!" Remy and Jun charged towards each other as their swords clashed with every strike. Reggie was nearly taken aback by what he saw. He knew that out of the two of them, Remy was superior when he came to swordplay, but he never imagined to see this level of speed and dexterity in his brother! He kept watching as Remy pushed Jun's blade off him with his own pair before stabbing one into the floor. Remy quickly reached for one of his blood vials and emptied onto his katana before picking up his other blade and charging once more. Reggie had remembered that one lesson about their family: that the blood of someone descended from the ancient Ryder hunters would be able to harm a demon on contact. It was just another thing he brushed off as a silly myth, but now… now he didn't know what to think. He watched as the two pushed away from each other and Jun waved his sword, summoning his starbolts. One by one each little blue orb flew towards Remy. He was able to slice through or deflect the first wave, but one slipped through and struck him in the shoulder. His balance compromised, Remy couldn't raise his swords back up time to block the last three hits, one of which hit him right in the chest and knocked him back roughly onto the floor. His swords fell to the ground with a sharp clang as Remy quickly gripped his chest. The hit from that starbolt didn't hurt too badly, but it did reignite the pain from his almost healed injury from when he was punched by the Cancer Sign's armor projection.

"Remy!" Reggie cried, leaning forward.

"Quiet!" Hou Yi hissed, pulling him back by his hood sharply.

"Don't you touch him!" Remy shouted, throwing three of his sun blades at Hou Yi, who easily deflected them to the ground with her bow.

"Why you!" she shouted, reaching for an arrow and preparing to draw back her bow.

"Stop! You will stand down, Hou Yi!" Jun ordered with a serious glare. Hou Yi met his glare with one of her own before exhaling in annoyance and putting her arrow back in her quiver.

"Remy, are you ok?" Reggie cried in worry.

"Don't worry about me!" he quickly shouted, pushing himself off the floor with one of his swords. Reggie gasped in worry when he saw blood dripping down from the corner of Remy's mouth. Remy noticed it too and wiped his mouth with the back of his glove. "I'll get you out of here," he promised.

"You're injured…" Jun noted.

"Yeah, so?"

"Not from my attack, but from a previous encounter."

"Oh, don't feel guilty on my account, especially when you went through all the trouble to kidnap my brother! You wanted a duel, right? Then let's go!"

Jun thought for a moment before smiling, "Very well then. Do not expect me to go easy on you."

"I don't," Remy responded seriously. The battle recommenced as their swords met again and again. With one swift movement, Jun managed to knock the katana out of Remy's hand, but he still had his jian. Remy leapt back to put some space between them again before pressing a switch on the jian handle. The blade suddenly broke into pieces, each connected to one by a thin cable. Remy waved his arm and slashed the chain sword against Jun's blade. He moved his arm differently, causing the sword to strike from the side. Jun quickly turned to block it with his shoulder armor before sending another wave of starbolts at Remy. Remy retracted the sword and rolled out of the way of the starbolts. He whipped the sword at Jun again, who raised his arm, causing the whip to wrap around his gauntlet. He held his sword down over the gauntlet to keep the whip in place and prevent Remy from retracting it for another attack.

"Ugh, enough of this. I'm getting bored," Hou Yi huffed. She reached behind her beneath her dark cloak and pulled out the Gemini Sign. She held out the Sign towards the two dueling swordsmen and activated its power. All of a sudden, copies of Jun appeared all around them.

"What are you doing?" Jun shouted at her.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm making this go along faster!" Hou Yi called back with a cheeky grin. On her command, the Jun copies drew their swords and attacked. Seeing this, the real Jun released his lock on Remy's whip sword, allowing the slayer to retract his blade. Jun ducked to the floor as Remy waved the sword around them in a circle, striking each of the clones and knocking them all back.

"So that's how you want to play it?" Remy accused.

"This isn't what I want," Jun assured him.

"Then maybe you should reevaluate who you work with!" he shouted, moving to attack the clones that advanced once more.

As Reggie continued watching them, he noticed something shining to his left. It was one of the circular blades that Remy had thrown at Hou Yi. Reggie quickly looked at Hou Yi and sighed in relief to see that she was far too engrossed in watching Remy and Jun fight the latter's duplicates. Slowly and carefully, he inched his way over to the blade. His hands were still tied behind his back so he had to slowly feel for the blade. He hissed when he felt the blade slice his right palm, but bit down on his tongue to quiet himself. He couldn't risk alerting Hou Yi to what he was doing. As he felt the blood begin trickling out from the wound and coating his hand, he reached for the blade carefully and without cutting himself or making too much noise, was able to pull it out from the floor. He fiddled with the blade in his hands, trying to position it in a way that he could hold it to start cutting through the ropes without cutting himself too.

As Reggie struggled to cut the ropes, Remy dodged an attack from another Jun duplicate and wound up backing into another Jun. Remy quickly whipped around to strike the duplicate with his sword, but Jun blocked it with his own. "Hold! I'm the real one!" he shouted.

"And how do I know that?" Remy argued.

Jun narrowed his eyes at Remy in annoyance before noticing a duplicate advance from behind. He raised his sword and Remy ducked instinctively as Jun held out his sword and a bright blue beam shot out from the tip of the sword and struck the duplicate. When Remy noticed the duplicate that almost caught him by surprise being knocked back, he looked back up to Jun - the real Jun - with surprise.

"I didn't tell her to do that. One-on-one is all I want."

"What do you propose then?" Remy asked cautiously.

"A temporary truce. We take care of these duplicates together and then we return to our duel," Jun suggested, turning sharply to block an attack from one of his copies.

"And how do I know you'll honor your word and let my brother go?" Remy asked, doing the same as another clone came at him from behind. Soon enough, they found themselves back to back facing the army of Juns.

Meanwhile, Reggie still struggled to hold the blade correctly and almost dropped it. Thankfully, he didn't and Hou Yi remained focused on the fight in front of them. He felt the ropes slack and pushed harder to slice the blade through the rest of his bindings. He pulled his wrists free and moved the blade to cut the ropes around his ankles. He scrambled to his feet, alerting Hou Yi to his escape.

"Where do you think you're going?" she shouted. She moved to reach for Reggie, gripping his sweater in her hands. Reggie instantly reached for her arm to pry her hand off him. To his surprise, she immediately released her grip on him and stepped back, screaming loudly in pain as she held her forearm. Reggie stared at her with wide eyes, questioning what she was screaming about. He looked at her arm and noticed the blood from the cut on his hand had gotten on her. It was true… All of it was true and never had it been more clear to him before now that everything he believed was wrong. Reggie took his chance to get away as Hou Yi dropped the Sign, causing the duplicates to vanish.

Remy saw his brother free and quickly pushed himself away from Jun. He reached into the pouch on his belt and threw down three smoke bombs. The warehouse was suddenly filled with thick, grey smoke and Jun lost sight of Remy as he disappeared within its depths. Remy ran through the smoke and reached out to the obscured figure in front of him.

"Relax! It's me!" he cried, feeling his brother struggle under his grip, only to relax once Remy spoke. Without another word, Remy pulled his brother towards the exit of the warehouse where his bike was parked. He handed Reggie the helmet and motioned for him to get on. Jun dashed out of the warehouse and the smoke when he heard the engine start, but the motorcycle was already far away. He glared angrily as his rival rode off before turning back to Hou Yi as the smoke began to clear. The archer was still hunched over, on her knees grasping her hand as she hissed in pain. Jun moved up to her and lifted her up by the collar of her cloak.

"You interfered!" he shouted.

"Make it stop!" she cried. "It hurts!"

Jun looked at her arm and saw blood on it. It wasn't hers since it was a deep red and since Remy never got close to her, it had to be from their captive. He glared angrily at her before picking up the Sign and dragging her off to their way back to the Netherworld. For a moment, he considered telling Tzan Ren that Hou Yi had kept the Gemini Sign from him, but up until halfway through, she had technically followed his commands. He should have expected her to pull a stunt like this, but she was more than paying for it now with the hunter's blood burning her skin. As he dragged Hou Yi away while she still screamed in pain, he looked back to the city. He lost his chance again to get a full fight with Remy, but he would not rest until he got what he wanted, what he deserved in the end.

After a trip to the hospital to get Reggie's hand sewn up and Remy's injuries checked out. Thankfully, it was a quick visit and the brothers sat in the park as the sun began to rise.

"So…" Reggie started.

"So…" Remy repeated.

"This is really still a lot to take in."

"Take your time," Remy mused.

"Why didn't you ever tell me about all of this?" Reggie cried.

"Reg, I've been telling you about this for years."

"And I never believed you…"

"Yeah."

The two brothers sat next to each other in silence, looking around and avoiding eye contact while trying to bear through the awkward silence that had settled between them.

"I'm sorry," Reggie spoke.

"Huh?" Remy turned to his brother with a look of confusion on his face.

"For all those times I called you and mom and dad crazy. I'm sorry."

Remy smiled, "It's ok. You didn't know any better."

"But I should have! I should have believed you guys! I shouldn't have called you all those awful things!"

"Reg, it's all in the past," Remy said, placing a reassuring hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Your… oddly ok with all of this."

"Reg, I accepted a long time ago that I would probably never be able to convince you of our family cause and that demons are real. You believed what you wanted to believe and I believed what I wanted to believe. We just… chose different paths."

"But wouldn't it have been so easy for you to just show me the proof that demons are real? Like one of your kills?" he asked.

"Maybe. Or maybe I was satisfied knowing you were happy living the life you chose even if it was in ignorance. Let's face it, Reg, out of the two of us, you're not a very good fighter."

"So, you were trying to protect me? By pushing me away like that?"

"I guess you could call it that. How did you track me down, by the way?"

"It wasn't easy. You moved around a lot and you moved fast. I got in touch with Ren and she told me you set up shop in Los Angeles. I won't lie, I was wondering what made you stop moving around and I can see it was probably those friends of yours."

"Ha, yeah. Funny thing, I came to this city because of them."

"Why?" Reggie asked.

"Well, I was actually here to hunt them," Remy admitted, nervously scratching the back of his head.

"You mean… they're demons?" he exclaimed, but quickly quieted down when Remy hushed him.

"Not all of them, just Liam, Mala and Drago, uh, the two guys with black hair and the brunette."

"Wait, wait, wait, if they're demons, then why-"

"Am I hanging out with them?" Remy finished. "Well, it's a long story. When I got here in fall of last year, I relentlessly hunted them. But, then they saved my life when they could have easily left me to die. I realized that just because they were demons, it didn't make them bad people. Not all demons are bad, just like not all humans are good."

"That actually makes a lot of sense. But hang on, I spoke with Mala yesterday and why didn't she just show me that she's a demon? Make this whole thing a lot easier?"

"They did ask me why I didn't just tell you which of them were demons, but their secrets aren't mine to give away, even if it's to you. And maybe deep down, if someday you were to start believing, part of me was hoping that I'd be the one to convince you."

"Well, after being kidnapped and held hostage by a pair of demons so that one of them could fight my little brother in a swordfight, call me convinced," Reg said as the two laughed. "The way you fought, it was really impressive."

"Thanks."

"Those, uh, circular blades you used earlier. I didn't recognize them from the usual Ryder arsenal. They new?" Reg asked.

"Yeah," Remy said, pulling one out and handing it to Reggie to show him. "I got it off of a Demon Sorcerer we defeated earlier this year."

"You guys fought an actual Demon Sorcerer?" he exclaimed.

"We've actually fought four and that was at the beginning of the year. You saw those news broadcasts about those ice pillars, right? We took down the guys who caused that."

"Wow, you really have been busy since mom and dad died, haven't you?" Reggie asked, handing the blade back to Remy.

"Yeah, we're actually dealing with an entire demon army right now, the Shadow Legion. Those two that kidnapped you, Hou Yi and Jun, they're two of its commanders. Their leader is Liam's father."

"His father?"

"Yeah and I know what you're thinking and don't worry. Liam hates his old man. If I remember correctly this would count as the second time his father's tried to kill him. They've got a complicated relationships."

"Speaking of complicated relationships," Reggie said, changing the subject, "What about us?"

"Us? Well, I imagine we'll have less to argue about now," Remy chuckled.

"Ha, yeah. So you're going to stay here, I imagine?"

"Yeah, my friends need me and honestly, I need them. I like it here."

"You've got some good friends."

"I do," Remy nodded with a smile. "So what are you going to do then?"

"Well, I've gotta head home. I enrolled in some summer courses and they start next week. But maybe after they're done, I could come for another visit?" Reggie asked, standing up.

"Yeah, I'd like that," Remy said, standing up and facing his brother. Reggie held out his right hand for Remy to shake, but remembered the bandage wrapped around the cut on his palm and instead extended his left hand. Remy took his brother's hand and gave it a firm shake as they exchanged smiles.

"Shit, I just remembered," Reggie suddenly exclaimed.

"What?" asked Remy.

"My car! When those demons kidnapped me, they ripped off one of my doors. It's probably been towed by now."

"Don't worry. We'll find your car and we can fix up whatever damage those two caused."

"How?" Reggie asked.

"Again, a long story."

* * *

**Awww, isn't it nice how the two brothers have reconciled? :3**

**Next chapter: The Strikers face the third Commander of the Shadow Legion, Wei Gong, in a place they'd never thought they'd have to go.**


	15. SPACE!

**Man, I almost forgot to post this week! I just had my midterm today and to be honest, I didn't do as well as I hoped, but I got the mark I predicted I would. You see with this class, you have to get 65%+ on the midterm and final in order to pass. In the previous two courses preceding this one, I had gotten 85-86 on both exams in both classes. But I tell ya, this course has been kicking my ass and I got only 70. Now, I totally went in thinking I'd get in the 70 range and it's not like I haven't gotten 70s before. I've hit the 70~ mark on several exams in my uni run and I've been fine with that. A pass is a pass and I'll take it! But what bothers me is that I was 6% away from failing. O_O Well enough about my personal life. I'm over it now. I just have to pass the final next week X3. But now onto what you guys really care about: the next chapter!**

* * *

It was early morning when Mala slowly crept out of Drago's room. With her boots in one hand, she tiptoed out and slowly closed the door as quietly as she could. Just as she turned around to head for the front door, she dropped her boots on the floor and gasped, "Son of a bitch!" she whispered sharply, clutching her chest as he heart started beating uncontrollably.

"Morning," Liam sang as he leaned against the wall with a cup of tea in hand. "Mavis told me to do that the next time I caught you sneaking out," he added.

"Damn that girl," Mala muttered, picking up her boots. She moved over to sit on the couch as she put her boots on.

"Yeah, but imagine how it would be like if she was the one who caught you instead of me," he said, moving to sit next to her.

"Ok, that's a good point."

"So, I have a question, why don't you guys just, you know, do it at your place? That way you don't have to sneak out all the time," he suggested.

"Well, your guys' place is a lot closer to Arran's in case he calls us in," she answered.

"Fair enough. Second question: how does… ok how can I put this? How does it work?"

"How does what work?" Mala asked, confused.

"You know, 'it'," he smiled nervously.

Mala's eyes widened as she realized what he was talking about and she quickly sat up and made her way to the door. "Ok, I'm not having this conversation with you!"

"Oh come on, Mala! You're the only person I can ask about this kind of stuff and you know I can't go to Mavis about it. She'll spend half the time making fun of me!"

"Liam, if you wanna know about the female body so badly, just use the internet!" She opened the door and was about to step out, but she turned around and looked at her friend once more. "Liam?"

"Yeah?" he asked.

For a moment, she thought about telling him. The vision filled her mind once more as she ran through the image of Linos being shot with an arrow… and dying. Should she tell him what she had seen? That he was destined to die? But on the other hand, maybe telling him would end up setting him on the path to getting killed. Why did all of this have to be so complicated? How did her mother handle knowing everything that was going to happen? When she found out that Mala was going to die, she didn't say anything! Was that how she should handle it? But that was only one instance! Lang Yan purposely told Tai Ci and the other Demon Sorcerers they banished that she and her friends would end up banishing them. The only reason they were so successful in that regard was because Lang Yan told them about their fate, which ended up putting them on the path to that fate! But this was the life of one of her best friends!

"Is something wrong?" Liam asked, pulling Mala out of her thoughts.

"Uh, nothing! Nevermind, it can wait," she said, shutting the door behind her.

They all met later that morning in Arran's restaurant. The grand opening was set in a few days and Arran was getting pretty excited even with the business with the Shadow Legion still looming over their heads. Mala was thankful that Liam didn't say anything to the others about her early morning sneak out. It was embarrassing enough that everyone knew that she and Drago had become… active and intimate in that way and she honestly couldn't stand any more of Mavis' teasing. What they did in the context of their relationship was their private business!

"So did Reggie get out all right?" Mala asked, sitting down.

"Yeah. He was pretty shaken up from being kidnapped, but he settled down after we talked," Remy answered.

"I still can't believe you just took off in the middle of the night without waking us! You shouldn't have gone alone," Drago chastised.

"Yeah, send a text at the very least!" Mavis added.

"Hey, if any one of you got a note saying that someone you cared about was kidnapped and to come alone to get them back or else, you'd go alone," Remy said.

"It was still pretty reckless. You're lucky the two of you got out without a scratch, well, without a serious scratch," Tim noted.

"It was actually probably a good thing that Reggie cut himself. He probably wouldn't have been able to get away from Hou Yi if he hadn't."

"So is he going to come back any time soon?" Mala asked.

"Probably not until the end of summer. He's got summer classes starting soon."

"It's nice that you two are repairing your relationship. Wish it was that easy with my family," Liam remarked.

"Well, at least I don't have to hear him go on and on about how demons aren't real anymore. It makes it a lot easier for us to be in the same room now that he knows."

"Guys, we've got a situation," Arran said, coming over to them.

"What is it?" Tim asked.

"I've picked up on another Sign, but where it's located could be… problematic."

"Well, where is it? The bottom of the ocean?" Drago asked, before he quickly added, "Please don't tell me its at the bottom of the ocean."

"Don't worry, it's not. It's uh… well, it might just be easier if I show you," he said, waving for them to follow him outside. They all looked at each other with looks of confusion on their faces. Once they met up with him outside, he turned and looked up at the sky. "It's there," he said, pointing up at the moon that was just barely visible in the morning sky.

"...In the sky?" Liam asked, confused.

"Uh, no…" Arran laughed nervously, trying to formulate his words.

"Wait, wait, wait, are you telling me it's on the moon?" Mavis cried.

"I thought you only scattered them across the Earth!" Mala exclaimed.

"So did I! The problem is the more portals I open at once, the less control I have over where they go! I thought my range was restricted to, well, our planet, but I guess the moon just falls within my range."

"Or maybe you can open portals to other dimensions! Like alternate universes in comic books! Maybe you can open one to an alternate reality where demons rule the world and we're part of the resistance!" Mavis exclaimed excitedly with a wide grin on her face, only to receive looks of confusion from her friends.

"Uh, let's not get ahead of ourselves, Mavis," Tim said.

"Fine, but I'm gonna hold onto this demon world idea!" Mavis pouted, crossing her arms.

"So if the Sign is up on the moon, how are we supposed to get up there?" Remy asked.

"Yeah, last i checked, none of us can fly that high and I doubt we'd be able to get our hands on a spaceship," Drago added.

"Well, I could open up a portal directly to the moon," Arran said, walking back inside as the others followed him.

"Do you know how to, though?" Tim asked.

"Well obviously he can if one of the Signs ended up there!" Mavis exclaimed, pointing up to the moon as she spoke.

"I've never tried opening a portal to anywhere beyond our planet. And when I opened all those portals to scatter my Signs, the destinations were randomized. But Mavis does have a point. If the moon ended up as one of those locations, then I should be able to open a direct portal if I concentrate. But there is one other issue."

"What?" Liam asked.

"We'll be in space?" Arran simply pointed out.

Everyone remained silent until Mavis groaned, "Aw crap!"

"Which means not all of us will be able to go," Arran added.

"But, but, but space! Freakin' space, guys!" Mavis cried.

"Well unless you have access to state of the art space suits and equipment, you'll have to stay. And before you even suggest it, no, I will not open a portal and break into NASA. Museums and art galleries are enough for me," Arran said, causing Mavis to groan and just lay her face on the table..

"I guess that means all three of us will have to sit this one out then," Remy said "You're regretting sitting out of the Paris one now, aren't you?" he asked Mavis, who simply nodded with her face still on the table.

"But how are you all going to survive in space?" Tim asked.

"As long as we remain in our demon forms, our magic will protect us from the vacuum of space," Arran reasoned, "At least, I think it should."

"You think?" Mala cried.

"It should work. My uncle Tso Lan's demon portal is located in space between the Earth and the Moon and my father released him a couple years back. I've never tried it or asked him about it, but my guess is our demon magic cna project some sort of force field around ourselves in a hostile environment like that," Drago explained.

"Yeah, but Tso Lan might be the only who can survive in space because he's the Moon Demon Sorcerer!" Liam argued.

"Maybe, but Drago has a good point. Tso Lan's power is only over gravity and I don't think that actually contributes to surviving in space. When we're in our demon forms, all of our normal abilities are enhanced: speed, strength, durability, all of it. It wouldn't be too much of a leap to think that we could survive in space in our demon forms," Mala reasoned.

"Either way, I'll go through the portal first, just to make sure it's safe for us. The rest of you will just have to stay here," Arran said to the three humans.

Tim nodded, "Just be careful. It might be difficult to get used to the weaker gravity on the moon. Here, gravity is 9.8 m/s2, but on the moon it's only 1.622 m/s2."

"Ok, how can you possibly know the exact force of gravity for the Earth and the moon?" Mavis asked, finally sitting up from the table, her forehead red from being pressed against the table surface for so long.

"Because I actually pay attention in science class instead of participating in an elastic band war with Mr. Butler," Tim remarked.

"What? I gotta work on my game! Butler's got sick aim and his shots hurt like hell!" Mavis argued.

"Yeah, I know. You used me as a human shield once," Liam said.

Arran held out his arm and opened a portal of light in front of him. "I'll go in first and check it out."

"We'll give you five seconds before I pull you back out," Liam said, summoning several shadow tendrils around him. Arran nodded, transformed into his demon form and stepped through the light portal. They all waited in anticipation, each of them counting to five in their heads. Just as they hit five seconds, Liam was about to send his shadow tendrils into the portal, Arran emerged from the portal and they all sighed in relief.

"We're good. Let's go," he said. Liam, Mala and Drago nodded, turning into their demons forms and following him through the portal.

"Whoa," they all gasped in awe.

"You know, if you were to tell me two years ago that I'd be on the moon, I probably wouldn't believe you," Mala said. "It definitely feels… different up here. I can't quite explain it. It doesn't feel like I'm breathing, but I know I am."

"Yeah, same here," Linos added.

"Check out the view!" Drago cried, calling the three of them over as he watched the large Earth in front of them.

"Wow… in all my years I've never seen anything quite like this," Arran said, pleasantly crossing his arms.

"It really is beautiful," Mala sighed in content, walking up to Drago. She wrapped her arms around his and leaned her head against his rough, scaly shoulder.

"It's no wonder why demons are so desperate to come to this world. This is paradise compared the Netherworld," Linos commented. "Too bad your mom was the only one who figured out how to actually get here and stay. With most demons it's only ever want, want, want and what they have is never enough."

"It is a nice view, but we should probably get to searching for that Sign," Arran said, leading them back to their search.

As they marched across the moon's surface, looking around for a Sign, Drago spoke up. "Uh, guys, I think there's something wrong with my fire magic." All three stopped and turned to look at him as he formed a fireball in each hand. But what came out wasn't the typical bright orange flames, roaring for air. Instead, the flames were a dull blue and coned around his claws.

"There's nothing wrong with your magic, Drago. It has to be the atmosphere. The moon has a weaker gravitational pull than Earth so there's a lot less oxygen in the air. Your fire is just behaving differently," Arran explained.

Linos' ears twitched as his eyes widened. "Incoming!" he shouted. Arran reacted instantly and raised a barrier of light, blocking a rain of arrows that nearly impaled them.

"Ah, what are the odds we'd run into you here," Jun said, standing over them on the edge of a crater with Hou Yi at his side.

"Hmmm, it feels so wonderful to be this close to my Tso Lan again," Hou Yi sighed contentedly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Hou Yi. Did you and your lover want a moment alone?" Jun teased. Hou Yi said nothing and simply glared at Jun. Her relationship with Tso Lan was the one good thing in her life that she was getting right, but Jun and Wei, they just teased her for it every second they could get! "We were almost worried you wouldn't be able to make the trip, but clearly, your Light-Bringer is more capable than we gave him credit for. It's just too bad Remington couldn't join us," he lamented.

"Sorry to disappoint," Linos spat.

"Disappoint? No, no you mistake my tone," Jun said.

"You see, there are actually three commanders in the Shadow Legion, did you know that?" Hou Yi asked.

"Yeah, so why has my old man kept his siege machine hidden all this time?" Linos asked.

"It may surprise you to know this, Linos, but your father doesn't want to kill humans. No, no, no he wants to rule them and your pathetic world! If he were to send Wei Gong out with us each time, there would be countless casualties not to mention a giant flag over our heads telling the whole world who we are. The more humans killed in Wei's path, the less servants your father will have to wait on him," Hou Yi explained. "But there are no such restrictions here, are there?" Linos' eyes narrowed as a wide grin formed on Hou Yi's face.

"Linos, what's she talking about?" Drago asked.

"Brace yourself guys," he simply warned in response.

A large shadow portal appeared above Jun and Hou Yi as a gigantic golem fell through and landed roughly on the moon's surface, causing the earth beneath them to shake. The golem was composed entirely of rocks and had a stout figure but easily towered over all of them as if they were nothing more than ants. At the joints were wispy shadows while a bright red crystal sat in the center of the golem's chest as four bright red eyes glared at them. "Allow us to introduce, Wei Gong the Destroyer!" Hou Yi shouted with a cackling laugh as Wei roared loudly.

"Ha! Please, the bigger they are, the harder they fall!" Drago boasted, cracking his knuckles.

"No, Drago wait!" Mala cried, reaching out to stop him but Drago was already running up to Wei with domed fireballs in his hands. Just as he jumped up to attack Wei, the behemoth raised his arms and simply smacked Drago aside into the dirt.

"Drago!" Mala cried, flying over to him.

"Hehehe, puny dragon," Wei chuckled deeply.

"Ugh, that really hurt," Drago groaned as Mala helped him up.

"You can't just go charging in without a single thought. And to think you would have learned from the Mountain Chi incident," she remarked.

Wei roared loudly and smashes his enormous, rocky fists into the ground, sending shockwaves through the earth. Linos and Arran quickly took to the skies to avoid the attack while Mala did the same with Drago in her hands. Linos let out a sonic scream at Wei, but the force of the blast did little to push him back. Arran summoned his light bow and fired his arrows at Wei, but they merely bounced off his rocky armor.

"His body is all rock! My arrows can't penetrate it!" he shouted.

"Try hitting the joints!" Linos suggested. Arran nodded and shot more arrows, this time hitting the black mist-covered joints between the boulders that made up Wei's arm. The behemoth roared out loud as the arrows struck him. Angry, Wei dug his hand into the ground and threw the rocks he gathered in his palm up towards them. All three fliers dispersed, narrowly avoiding the debris. Just before the largest rock was about to hit him, Arran opened a light portal that sucked up the rock. Arran opened a second portal right in front of Wei, causing the same boulder to emerge and strike the giant head on, knocking him onto his back.

"Nice shot!" Linos complimented as he and Arran watched Wei struggle to get up like a turtle stuck on its back. All of a sudden, his rock body fell apart and the boulders moved across the moon's surface, reforming Wei's body in a standing position.

"You two take the big one! Mala and I will handle the other two!" Drago called.

As Mala descended onto the moon's surface, she asked, "Which one do you want?"

"I'll take the archer," he answered.

"Really? You did get shot last time," she pointed out. "And you don't have a problem with hitting a girl?"

"Not if she's evil and trying to kill us," he remarked, "Besides, you're covered head to toe in armor. I at least have a better chance at dodging arrows than I do a sword."

"Just be careful," she whispered before dashing off towards Jun, who whipped out his sword in preparation for her attack.

Drago turned his attention to Hou Yi as she drew back her bowstring and fired at him. He dodged the first wave of arrows, dashing and jumping his way towards her as he moved past her arrows. He caught the last one in his hand before setting it aflame before letting out a stream of fire from his mouth. However, the archer quickly raised her hand, to release a gust of wind and disperse the flames, but nothing happened and the force of the fire breath knocked her back, singing her cloak in the process.

"What's going on?" she hissed angrily as she pushed herself off the ground and back on her feet.

"Ha! You don't know much about space do you? No atmosphere, no wind… at least I think that's how it works. I'm not entirely sure; I'm getting a C in science," Drago pondered.

"Argh, enough talk! I don't need my Shadow Wind to take care of a little dragon like you! I can defeat you without Xiao Fung's power!" she declared, drawing back her bow again.

"Xiao Fung? What does my uncle have to do with this?" Drago asked, confused.

"Ha! You really don't know anything about what Tzan Ren is capable of, do you?" she laughed.

"What are you going on about?" Drago asked, getting impatient.

"On second thought, I don't think I'll spoil the fun!" Hou Yi grinned, releasing another wave of arrows onto the dragon.

As the two fought, Mala blocked another one of Jun's sword strikes with her claws before kicking him away. Jun jumped back and waved his sword, summoning starbolts that rained down on Mala, who quickly raised a crystal barrier to block his attack. All of a sudden, Jun's navy sword stabbed through her barrier, causing Mala to cry out in surprise and jump back just as he tore through the crystal wall.

"Is that all you have to rely on? Claws and your magic?" Jun taunted, readying his sword for another assault.

"Well I have been working on something new. I hadn't planned on showing it off so soon, but I guess now's as good a time as any," Mala smirked. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and clapped her hands together. As she slowly drew them apart, a long crystal staff formed in front of her. She took the staff in one hand and waved her other hand over one end, forming a large pink, curved blade. She twirled the staff around in her hands before slamming the scythe blade into the ground.

"Impressive craftsmanship," Jun complimented, "But it is one thing to create a blade and another to wield it. Let's see how you fare in the latter." Jun dashed towards Mala, quickly spun her scythe and diverted Jun's blade. She lifted her scythe high for another strike, but he moved back to avoid it just as the tip of the pink blade struck the earth. Mala quickly lifted the scythe and drew her arms back, throwing the scythe right at Jun. The scythe spun, whooshing towards the swordsman who pushed it away with an energy slash from his blade, sending the scythe flying off into the distance behind him. "And what will you do now?" he taunted, now that she was weaponless. Mala simply stared at him and brought her hands together once more, creating an identical scythe and floating it over her hand. "Right, of course," he sighed.

"You know, there's one thing I learned from my mother: two is better one," Mala smirked. She brought the scythe in front of her and, as she drew her hands apart, created an identical copy of the scythe. On her command, the scythes began spinning as she kept them hovered just out from her hands before sending the spinning blades towards Jun.

Linos tried another sonic scream attack, drawing Wei's attention and allowing Arran to strike the giant with more light arrows. Wei roared angrily, shaking off the light arrow and throwing another wave of rocks up to his aerial assaulters. Linos dodged the first few, but couldn't move out of the way of the third boulder, which hit him dead on and sent him crashing into the dirt. He groaned as he pushed himself up, spitting the dirt from his mouth. "Damn, that hurt," he cursed. His head felt like it was spinning and he had trouble sitting up. He put his hand on his head, rubbing his aching temple trying to alleviate the pain. When he finally felt the pain dying down, he opened his eyes. He was about to turn his attention back to his light demon cousin still fighting Wei, but something on the ground in front of him caught his eye. There was something poking out of the dirt and it wasn't the same color as the rest of the grey rock. It was tan colored. Linos reached out and dug his talons into the dirt, digging out the object and lifting it out. He dusted the dirt off the object and saw the purple scorpion emblem. "Well, that was convenient," he chuckled, turning back to see Arran dodging more of Wei's attacks. "Ok, let's see what you can do." Linos squeezed the Sign in his hand tightly, causing the scorpion emblem to glow brightly. Suddenly, a stream of sand emerged from the face of the Sign forming three figures made entirely of sand that resembled him. "Um… attack?"

On his command, the sand guardians dashed towards Wei. The giant had just brought his fight down onto Arran, who retaliated with the Cancer Sign, causing the bright green exoskeleton armor to manifest around him. He raised his arms and held Wei's giant fist above his head, the strength of the armor allowing him to keep himself from being crushed. Arran struggled to keep Wei's fist from crushing him, the force of the giant pushing him into the ground and causing it to crack. Suddenly, the sand guardians appeared beside him and transformed into streams of sand. All three streams shot into Wei's stone hand and up his arm, causing the rocks that made up the entire arm to fracture and break apart. Arran turned as his cousin landed beside him.

"I believe this is yours," Linos said, holding out the Sign.

"Scorpio, thanks," he said, taking the Sign in his hands. "I'm guessing you figured out it's power?"

"Summoning guardians made of sand to fight for you? Yeah, seemed pretty self-explanatory," Linos chuckled.

Wei roared as the sand guardians completely decimated his arm before returning to the Scorpio Sign in Arran's hand. Wei stomped on the ground with his short, stout legs as a pillar of rocks suddenly rose up from the surface of the moon. The rocks reached Wei's shoulder where his arm had been torn off and suddenly formed a new one in its place. Wei chuckled deeply as he charged towards the two demons. Arran quickly opened a light portal and disappeared within it, pulling Linos along with him as they narrowly avoided being crushed by Wei's feet.

Mala pushed Jun back with another swing of her scythe before stabbing the curved blade into the ground, spawning a row of crystals that headed right towards Jun. The crystals quickly encased Jun's feet before spreading up his legs and over his torso as well, trapping him. She turned her attention to Wei and quickly took her two scythe in hand and combined them together at the end of either staff. She drew her arms back and flung her scythe towards the behemoth, striking him right in the chest right on the edge of the red crystal at the center of his chest. Wei cried out in pain and stumbled back trying to pry the scythe off his chest, but his giant fingers couldn't grip the tiny scythe. Linos witnessed this as something caught his eye. He wasn't entirely sure what it was, but it was like there was a faint, glowing crack directly over the crystal. He closed his eyes and rubbed them, only to see that the crack was still there.

"Do you see that?" he asked Arran.

"See what?"

"That crack right over Wei's chest. Please tell me you can see it."

"Linos, I don't see anything," Arran answered.

Marvelled, Linos turned back to Wei only to see that the crack had disappeared. "But it… I could have sworn," he muttered.

Arran placed a hand on Linos' shoulder. "We should fall back. We have the Sign anyway and I don't know how we'll manage to keep going against something like Wei Gong."

Linos nodded. "Yeah, you're right." He whistled loudly, getting Mala and Drago's attention. As Mala flew over to them, Drago blasted Hou Yi with his heat vision and met up with them as well as they all disappeared into one of Arran's light portals.

When they got back, Mavis didn't waste any time in asking them what happened and insisting they describe every little detail.

"Oh, here," Liam said, pulling out a rock from his pocket and handing it to Mavis.

"What's this?" she asked, taking the rock.

"Space rock," he answered.

"Oh, sweet!"

"So if Tzan Ren had this gigantic third commander, why did he only wait until now to send him?" Tim asked.

"Wei's not called The Destroyer for nothing," Liam remarked. "And he's anything but inconspicuous. My father might have just been keeping him back to avoid giving himself away. I mean, people won't notice smaller demons like Hou Yi and Jun in the shadows but an eyesore like Wei's gonna stick out like a sore thumb."

"But why would your dad care about being discreet?" Mala asked.

"Because he's a psychopath! The sicko gets off on the fear and panic he instills and if I know him, he's gonna wait to reveal himself until the last moment so he can spread as much panic as possible. I guess the only consolation is that he'll try to keep casualties to a minimum."

"Why would he care about that?" Drago asked.

"Think about it. The more people he kills, the less servants he'll have around. Demons like our fathers only view humans as objects, slaves to serve their every command and whim."

"As evil as he is, it does make sense. If you're going to enslave an entire race, it would make sense to minimize the amount of people that die during the attack," Remy added.

"Either way, sending out Wei means that my father's getting more confident," Liam remarked.

"As he should. After everything that's happened, there's only one Sign left," Arran said, "which means we're getting close to the endgame."

Mala gulped at Arran's words, reminded of the vision she had recently. She still wasn't sure if she should tell Liam of what she saw. Tell him about his impending doom or let him face his destiny?

* * *

**So FIRST OFF: I am the last thing from a science and space expert. I did my best to research and understand how fire behaves in space so if I made any scientific errors (which I probably did), I apologize. **

**Next: I know Wei hasn't made any major appearance until now but we have a good reason which I think we tried to convey in this chapter. A creature like Wei would stick out like a sore thumb, especially in the many populated areas the Strikers visited. And Tzan Ren may want to rule the human world, but he doesn't want to kill what he considers to be his future servants. And withholding Wei would minimize the loss of his... assets. I'm honestly surprised that none of your wondered about why Wei wasn't being featured as much as Jun and Hou Yi (probably also because he's not as developed as a character as those two) but I guess none of y'all were too bothered by it :)**

**As for the demons surviving in space thing, even if Tso Lan is the Moon DS, we like to see demons as having a sort of life-force barrier that protects them from the vacuum of space. Think the glow/shield the Lantern Rings give their wearers when they're in space or hazardous environments.  
**

**Next chapter: The beginning of the end. Tzan Ren launches his invasion of earth, starting with Los Angeles. Wei Gong leads the Legion's forces and the Strikers must find a way to stop the Destroyer before the city is flattened.**

**Also, the next chapter is actually ready to go but I will only post it once one of the two following conditions are met:  
-one week has passed  
-I've received 5, non-anonymous reviews on this chapter  
whichever comes first ;)**


	16. Siege of Los Angeles

**Oh my god guys am I in a good mood or what? You know, it might have something to do with me kicking my final exam's ass with a whopping 83%! Booya!**

**But enough about that, on to what we all really want: the beginning of the end of arc 3!**

* * *

Hou Yi, Jun Bing and Wei Gong gathered before their master, who had his back turned to them while Hei Gou and An Gou sat on either side of him, obediently awaiting an order. The three commanders glanced back and forth at each other before Jun spoke up.

"Master, is something wrong?" As they had expected, Tzan Ren was displeased with their failure on the moon, but now he seemed… content, as if he had gotten over or simply forgotten what happened.

"On the contrary, Jun," Tzan Ren spoke up, "Things couldn't be better. In fact, I believe it's time to begin the first step of my final plan. Begin the invasion… and remember, keep casualties to a minimum. I'll not have my new empire suffer a shortage of labor."

* * *

"It's a great turnout!" Mavis exclaimed.

"Yeah, and the place looks great!" Mala added as the two girls sat at the bar as Arran stood on the other side.

"Thanks! I just didn't expect it to be this busy, but then again, it is opening day."

"Well, you should be proud. You worked hard to get this place all set up and now all that hard work is paying off!" Mala said.

"Aw, well I can't take all the credit. You all helped me get this place ready and I couldn't do it without you!"

"And you're welcome, Arran! In fact, I know a great way you can thank us, maybe an order of milkshakes?" Mavis asked.

"Haha, you got it," Arran said, walking off.

"So, Mala…" Mavis started.

"What's up?"

"I've been thinking about what you said in regards to my… boy problem and I think I'm going to go for it!"

"R-really? That's great! Lia- I mean, whoever the lucky guy is, I'm sure he'll feel the same way," Mala smiled. She could barely contain her excitement. Finally! Mavis was finally going to confess her feeling to Liam! Those two could finally stop the back and forth banter and get together! But in an instant, Mala recalled her vision. She still couldn't get the sight of Linos with an arrow in his chest out of her mind. Should she say something to Mavis? Discourage her or convince her to postpone her confession? No, Mavis wasn't a genius but she could smell bullshit a mile away! Argh, why did this all have to be so complicated! "Mavis, listen, I think you should…"

The sound of glass breaking pulled the two girls' attention as they turned to look at Arran, who had just dropped a glass onto the floor. His jaw was dropped and his eyes were wide, like he had just seen something shocking.

"Arran, what's wrong?" Mala asked in worry.

"I really hope that wasn't my milkshake…" Mavis muttered.

"I...I… just felt something," he exhaled hesitantly. He quickly stepped over the broken glass and motioned for the two to follow him into the back. "My Libra Sign, it's going off like crazy!" he explained, summoning the Libra Sign in his hand. The two girls watched in awe as the yellow sigil of scales flickered brightly like a flashing siren.

"What does it mean?" Mala asked.

"I don't know. It could mean anything. But I've never seen it go off like this before."

"Then whatever it is, it must be big," Mavis said.

The sound of screaming and growing murmurs of concern drew the three back out into the restaurant. Everyone was out of their seats and gathered by the windows while others stepped outside, looking and pointing up to the sky. The three followed some of the restaurant goers outside and looked up into the sky.

"What's going on?" Mavis asked.

A small black orb floated in the sky above the city as the people around them all whispered their confusion to each other while some pulled out their phones to record what they were seeing. Suddenly, the orb began crackling with black thunder before exploding, casting shadows outward and surrounding the entire city in a pitch black dome of swirling shadows. Arran, Mala and Mavis simply stared speechless the entire time while everyone around them broke out into a panicked scream.

"Ok guys, we have a problem," Mala said. They were all gathered inside Arran's restaurant, which was promptly emptied of the civilians that had recently packed it.

"I'm going to go ahead a guess that it has something to do with, oh I don't know, the giant black dome surrounding the city?" Drago cried.

"That's exactly it. The news reports have been flooding in and whatever this dome is, it's completely impenetrable from both sides. No one's getting in or out," Arran explained.

"Well, we know who's behind this one, obviously. A large shadowy dome appears out of nowhere while we're in the middle of fighting my father and his Shadow Legion?" Liam asked.

"Oh, there's no doubt about who's behind this. The question is why?" Tim asked.

"Maybe he's trying to contain us?" Remy suggested.

"But Arran can create light portals. Trying to lock us up with a shadow dome isn't going to do anything, is it?" Mala asked him.

"No, I've already tried and I can still make portals to anywhere I want so this dome isn't affecting my powers," answered Arran.

"So if he's not trying to keep us here, then what's the big dome for?" Mavis asked.

"Maybe the dome isn't for us," Remy started.

"You might be on to something, Remy. Arran, you said the new reports said that nothing could penetrate the dome, right?" Mala asked.

"That's right," he confirmed with a nod.

"Then what if this dome has nothing to do with us specifically? What if it's to keep everyone else in?" Mala finished.

"But why would he want to contain everyone else?" Drago asked.

"Uh, I think I have the answer to that question," Mavis said. She had her face pressed up against the glass of the window and pointed outside up into the sky. They all gathered around her to look outside as swirls of shadows opened across the sky and demons rained down from the sky.

"This is a full scale invasion!" Liam realized. He made a run for the door, but Arran quickly grabbed him by the scarf around his neck and stopped him.

"Liam, stop! You can't just go charging out there!" he cried.

"Well you can't expect me to just sit here and do nothing!" he shouted back as people ran in the streets, screaming in panic as they fled from the invading demons.

"I want to get out there as much as you do, we all do, but there's only so much time we can waste fighting the first wave," Arran stated.

"He's got a point, Liam. Do you know how many movies I've seen with this exact scenario where the heroes spend at least a good five minute montage fighting the nameless foot soldiers before realizing all together that they should just go fight the guy in charge? I move that we should just skip to that part!" Mavis declared.

"Exactly. Mavis is right. We shouldn't waste time fighting the stragglers," Arran said. "You know how your father operates his Legion. What happens in the first wave?"

"Complete obliteration," Liam answered. "First the scouts go in, but they don't attack, they just do recon. Once my father's assessed his enemy's capabilities, he sends in either Wei or Jun, Jun if he wants perfection or Wei if he wants complete destruction… or if he's trying to show off. But, if we're right that my father will want to minimize casualties for himself, then he'll most likely have Jun and Hou Yi's forces round up every human they find and then have Wei level the city."

"He'd do that?" Mala cried.

"Once he ensures his… assets," Liam frowned, disliking having to use that word in such a way, "are secure, he'll want to display his power, show this world just what he's capable of and that they should fear him."

"So he'll open with Wei, then?" Remy asked.

"That's right," Liam nodded.

"But how are we supposed to take him out? Am I the only one who remembers that he's a giant rock monster?" Drago cried.

"Not to mention that we only fought him the one time AND we didn't even win! We just retreated!" Mala added.

"Liam, does Wei have any weaknesses?" Arran asked.

"Other than light magic and demon hunter blood? None that I can think of. He's big and strong, but he's slow. If we can trip him up, we might be able to get an advantage. The main thing to watch out for is his earth magic. You guys saw some of it when we were on the moon, how he drew in earth from the moon and used it to repair his body? He can take any rock and dirt and add it to his own body to repair himself or make his body bigger."

"Well then it's going to be hard to isolate him when we're completely surrounded by earth!" Tim exclaimed.

"Then we'll have to work with what we have: light, blood and speed," Liam stated. They made their way to the roof of the building and watched as demons of the Shadow Legion began rounding up people. "I've got him," Liam announced.

"Where is he?" Arran asked.

"Beyond those buildings near the edge of the city. I can hear his footsteps. Nobody else I know walks as heavily as Wei does."

"Ok, so what's the plan?" Mavis asked.

"You three stay here," Liam stated.

"What? Nu-uh, no way, no how am I sitting out on a fight with this Destroyer for a second time!" Mavis protested.

"Mavis, I think Liam's right about this. It's one thing if it's Hou Yi or Jun, but Wei's another story. He could squash you three like bugs with one step or bury you in a rockslide," Mala tried reasoning.

"Just trust us. Let us take care of Wei and then we'll figure out what to do next… together," Liam said, placing a reassuring hand on Mavis' shoulder.

Mavis narrowed her eyes at him in annoyance and pouted her lips before closing her eyes and sighing. "Fine, just don't die."

"I don't plan on dying, not today," Liam replied firmly.

Mala couldn't help but look worried at hearing Liam's confident words, something Drago noticed. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Oh, uh, nothing," she chirped, quickly replacing her look of worry with a confident smile.

"Are you sure? You looked really worried just now," Drago noted, pressing further.

"I'm fine, I promise," she assured him. "So if we're going to take this thing down, I think we're going to need a little something to even the odds, don't you think?" Mala stepped forward and raised her arms, causing her giant, aqua-green crystal dragon to materialize in front of them. The dragon opened its bright red eyes and roared loudly before bowing its head obediently and nestling its head against Mala. "It's not as big as Wei, but it's better than nothing, right?"

"Let's get going," Liam said, as they all transformed into their demon forms. "You three stay out of sight so the Legion doesn't find you. If you're in trouble, just shout and I'll hear you."

"Take these," Remy said, handing Arran a few vials of his blood. "Just be careful not to get any of it on you."

"Right, let's get going," Arran said as they all climbed onto Mala's dragon. As they soared over the city, they immediately spotted the large golem standing proud and tall just beyond the edge of the city and before the shadow dome. Wei roared angrily when he saw them approach and didn't waste any time in throwing boulders into the sky. Mala's dragon managed to evade the boulders as Linos and Arran flew off its back.

"Remember to hit the joints! His rock body is too thick to penetrate!" Linos shouted.

Linos and Arran didn't waste any time in launching their attacks with Linos unleashing a sonic scream directly at Wei's head. Wei cried out angrily as earth spikes shot out from the rock armor that made up his chest. Linos dodged side to side in the air while the spikes simply bounced off Mala's dragon's crystal body. Arran summoned his Signs, floating just over his back in a circle, and activated Cancer, causing the bright green armor exoskeleton to manifest around his body. The Sagittarius Sign lit up next as nearly twenty arrows of light appeared above Arran's head. He raised his arm before quickly drawing it back down, causing the arrows to rain down onto Wei, striking his joints that oozed shadowy mist. With his light wings spread wide, Arran charged forward as the Taurus Sign lit up in unison with the Cancer Sign. Arran punched his way through the debris Wei sent up towards him to try and slow him down before punching right in the upper chest. Despite Wei's size, the combined strength of both Signs was enough to send Wei falling back, landing on the ground roughly, crushing all the trees that he had fallen onto. The earth shook as the shockwave of the fall shattered the glass windows of nearby buildings.

Mala's dragon quickly flew down and landed on top of Wei, pinning the giant down with either of its front claws on Wei's arms. Drago pressed his claws against the crystal dragon, heating the crystal. The dragon began surging with blue crackling electricity, which is unleashed from its mouth right into Wei's face. Wei cried out angrily as the electricity struck him and with a single shove, he pushed the dragon off him and pulled himself back up to his feet. Wei reached out with his massive fist and grabbed Mala's crystal dragon by the neck and wing. The dragon struggled against Wei's grip as the force of the two opposing forces fighting back and forth caused Drago to lose his balance. Mala quickly leapt off her dragon and flew down, catching Drago by his arms.

"It's no use! This guy's too tough!" Drago shouted.

"It's like nothing we do is making a dent!" Linos added.

"Whoa, hey!" Drago cried as Mala tossed Drago mid-air over to Linos, who caught the fire demon with his clawed feet. "What was that for?"

"I have to help my dragon! Well, my other dragon," Mala said, dashing off.

"You know, being tossed around like this is really annoying, you know," Drago muttered, crossing his arms as he pouted.

"Well, then maybe you should learn to fly," Linos laughed.

"Uh, hello, no wings?"

"Well, Mala and I weren't born with any wings and we can still fly," Arran pointed out. "We just made our own."

The three demons watched as Mala flew down towards Wei's arms and conjured up her crystal scythe. She held the scythe out, duplicating it, before attaching them to each other at the end of the staff. She took the scythe in hand and drew back her arms, sending the double scythe flying towards Wei. The pink scythe spun, whooshing through the air and slicing through Wei`s arms at his elbow joints. Wei cried out and stumbled back as his forearms fell off Mala's dragon - allowing it to fly away - and landed roughly on the ground. The giant stomped on the ground angrily like a child throwing a tantrum before two rock pillars rose up and surrounded his severed arms. The outermost layer of rock crackled and broke apart, revealing new forearms in place of the ones Mala had just sliced off.

"Well, that didn't do much," Mala remarked upon regrouping with the others.

"Wait, I have an idea. How big can you make that scythe of yours?" Linos asked.

"Um, pretty big I guess. I've never tried it!"

"Make it as big as you can."

"What are you thinking?" Arran asked.

"That we've been overcomplicating this. All those zombie movie marathons Mavis put me through are finally about to come in handy," Linos grinned.

"What's the plan?" Drago asked.

"The three of us are going to distract Wei and keep his attention off Mala. When I give the signal, you throw that scythe of yours right for his head," Linos explained.

"You want to decapitate him?" Mala cried.

"If we can't counter any of his powers or abilities then we might as well try something we'd never think of doing!" Linos argued.

"It's so simple, it might actually work," Arran added.

"Hm, ok. Let's give it a shot!" Mala exclaimed.

"Good. When I give the signal, use all your strength. Don't hold anything back!" Mala nodded and flew off while Linos and Arran advanced towards Wei, backed by Mala's dragon. The dragon occupied Wei's attention the most, standing up on its hind legs and spreading its wings to attack. The two giant creatures fought each other, exchanging blows, each one knocking the other back only to be hit in return reminiscent of a Godzilla movie. The fireballs and arrows Drago and Arran fired did little to affect Wei overall, but it was keeping his attention on them. Linos turned his head and shouted at the top of his lungs, "NOW!"

Mala, several feet away, heard Linos sound magic amplified shout and took her scythe in hand by one of the two blades at either end. She spread her crystal wings widely and dashed forward towards the rock golem. When she was nearly fifty feet away, she turned, spinning like a tornado before releasing her crystal scythe. The bright double bladed weapon spun, whooshing through the air and straight towards Wei. The giant didn't notice the blade coming for him until it sliced clean through the shadowy mist between his head and shoulders. In an instant, Wei froze, petrified before his giant stone head slid off and crashed onto the ground. Wei's body quickly went limp and fell forward, creating a thick cloud of dust that swept across the grass and concrete.

"I can't believe that worked!" Arran cried.

Just as they were about to turn away and reunite with the others, they heard something rumbling behind them.

"Uh, what was that?" Drago asked. They turned around and, to their shock, Wei's right arm quickly propped up. He placed both hands against the ground and pushed himself back up and simply continued marching towards the center of the city, still headless.

"How is he still up? We literally cut off his head!" Mala shouted in disbelief.

"I don't understand," Linos muttered, nearly rendered speechless.

"Maybe he has a weak point somewhere else!" Arran reasoned. "We've seen him reconstruct his arms out of the earth, which means they might not even be part of his real body, just an extension of his powers. So it would stand to reason that the head is also just part of a large suit of armor."

"You think Wei's body is just armor?" Drago asked.

"Yes, think of it like my Cancer Sign. When I use it, an exoskeleton is projected around me keeping my body safe from harm. Perhaps Wei's earth body is like an exoskeleton and his real body is hidden somewhere within," Arran explained.

Linos said nothing as the others discussed Arran's theory. Instead, his eyes were once again locked onto the bright red crystal protruding from Wei's chest. He couldn't help but question the purpose of that crystal. Why was it there? Did it have to do with his powers? What purpose did it serve? Before he could even begin to formulate any possible answers to his long string of questions, he blinked his eyes in surprise and nearly doubled back. The faint, moving scar that floated right over the crystal on Wei's chest came into view again. It happened once before when they fought Wei on the moon, but Linos had no idea what it was he was seeing. For all he knew, it could have been space dust in his eye or even an eyelash! But the fact that the same moving crack in mid-air appeared directly over the exact same thing he had last seen it on was far too much of a coincidence for him. "I think you might be on to something cuz. That crystal on his chest, I think it might be his weak point or something."

"What makes you say that?" Mala asked.

"Remember when we were on the moon? I kept seeing this weird floating scar over the crystal on his chest. I didn't know what to think of it the first time, but it's showing up again in the exact same spot and that can't be a coincidence."

"But what makes you think it means that's his weak point?" asked Drago.

"Because I see the same something over the weak spot of the Cancer Sign's armor nearly every time I look at it," he answered.

"Maybe this is another one of your sight abilities," Arran suggested, "The ability to see weak points in your opponents."

"Must be. And now that I think about it, whenever she fought, my mother always seemed to know just where to hit her enemies."

"Not to mention Wei nearly freaked out when my scythe almost hit his chest when we were on the moon!" Mala added.

"Let's try this again, but this time aim for his chest!" Linos declared. They broke off once again, repeating their distraction maneuver while Mala prepared her scythe. Linos gave the signal again as Mala threw her scythe towards Wei. Just as the pink blade reached him, Wei raised his arm and knocked the crystal scythe away.

"No!" Mala cried.

"I've got it!" Arran shouted. He held out his hand and opened a light portal that sucked the whirling scythe in. Arran raised his other arm out towards Wei, opening a second portal directly in front of the red crystal on Wei's chest. The scythe came whirling out in an instant and struck the crystal, causing it to split open with a sharp crack. Even without his head, Wei roared loudly as a bright light shot out from the shattered crystal and Wei's body exploding, sending chunks of rock flying in all directions.

"You think that did it?" Drago asked landing on the ground as Linos descended and released his grip on the dragon.

"Well, I don't see any rocks moving, so it must have," Mala noted.

They turned their gaze to the red crystal as they heard it sharply split open. As black shadowy mists poured out, a tiny dark purple hand with four sharp fingers shot out from the center of the crystal and a tiny dark purple imp with bright red eyes and tiny horns emerged.

"Uh, what is that?" Drago asked.

The imp immediately heard Drago's question and skittered over to the four demons. It stopped right before them and widened its stance. Holdings out its arms, it drew rocks from the earth beneath them and threw one right at Drago, but the tiny pebble simply bounced off the dragon's forehead. Drago blinked before narrowing his gaze at the tiny imp. He charged forward and swiftly kicked the imp high into the air. The imp squealed as it soared and Arran drew back his bow and released three arrows, each striking the imp with perfect precision. Before the imp even reached the ground, the arrows of light did their magic and the imp disintegrated into black mist before disappearing completely.

"So, that was Wei, then?" Mala asked.

"That's it? That tiny little imp caused all this destruction?" Drago cried in disbelief.

"I can't believe this… The Destroyer's just an imp demon? They're like the lowest class of demon scout!" Linos cried.

"We can ask all the questions we want about Wei, but we should get back to the others and take care of the other commanders," Arran suggested.

* * *

"On your right!" Remy cried to Tim, who quickly turned and fired a Chi spell at the shadow demon that leapt towards him. He didn't see the demon that appeared behind him, ready to attack until Mavis dashed over and kicked it away and delivered a swift, three punch combo - two to the stomach and one to the head - knocking the demon out cold.

"Mavis… how did you… What the hell?" Tim gasped in shock.

"... What?"

"Mavis, I've known you my entire life and you have never been able to fight like that. Sure you try to reenact some of your favorite fight scenes from those old kung fu movies you watch to grossly inaccurate and mildly comedic results, but you've never actually been… deadly!"

"Oh, right. Remy's been training me," she answered plainly.

"He has?" Tim asked, before turning to Remy just as the slayer expertly sliced through three demons with a single swing of his sword. "You have?"

"Just a few moves and techniques. I'm not inducting her into the Ryder Clan or anything like that," Remy answered.

"Yeah, long story. I'll fill you in later," Mavis said, patting Tim's shoulder.

"Hey, hey! They're coming back!" Remy shouted, pointing to the distance as their friends flew over to them.

"You guys ok?" Linos asked.

"Just peachy," Tim remarked.

"A few demons showed up, but it was nothing we couldn't handle. How'd your end go?" Remy asked.

"The Destroyer's down for good and the majority of the invading forces will likely suffer because of it. With no one to lead the charge, the Legion's forces will be scattered and disoriented. But it's only a matter of time before my father reestablishes some sense of order. We need to take advantage of the situation and keep attacking while we have the lead and momentum," Linos declared.

"I couldn't agree more. So what's our next move?" Arran asked.

"Well, while you four were away having all the fun to yourselves, some seriously weird shit was going on over yonder," Mavis said, pointing towards the center of the city where another shadow dome sat.

"What is that?" Mala asked, as they all turned their attention towards the new shadowy dome.

"We're not sure, but it just appeared a little bit before you guys got here," Tim explained.

"Perhaps your father and the last two commanders are within?" Arran suggested.

"Oh definitely! When shit like this happens in movies and cartoons, you are always guaranteed to find the head honcho in the center of all the chaos," Mavis chimed in.

"Yeah, let's go!" As they dashed off towards the center of the city. As they traveled towards the dome, Mala did her best to hide the worried expression that formed on her face. Things were looking more and more like that vision she had. She bit her lip nervously in anticipation of what they would be facing and desperately hoped that what she saw wouldn't come true.

* * *

**It's funny because I had originally intended to debut Mala's scythe in this chapter, but as I was writing the previous one with her fighting Jun (a matchup I didn't decide on until I actually started writing - that happens a lot with my writing, I'll plan something one way but when I actually get down to it, I find I like something else more). Oh btdubs, there's a pic of Mala's scythe on my deviantart for those interested. **

**Next chapter: Arran vs Hou Yi, who is the better archer?**

**Same deal as last time guys: 1 week or 5 non-anonymous reviews and I'll post the next chapter (which has been done since Tuesday X3)**


	17. The Better Archer

**Man guys, you were just one review short of an early post! That's one better than last week XD I will tell you guys this, I've been spending the week pretty much in writing diarrhea mode. I'm pretty much up to the last chapter now (that's three chapters excluding this one and the final chapter that I've started). So we are getting super duper close and I'm pretty much wrapping this arc up.**

* * *

With Wei's fall, most of the demons of the Shadow Legion were in disarray. Some had resorted to simple vandalism or looting while others just ran amok waiting for any orders. Tzan Ren or even his other two commanders had plenty of opportunity to step in and bring order to their chaotic soldiers, but so far, none of them appeared, a fact which only served to worry everyone as they made their way to the central dome.

"So what do you think this is?" Drago asked as they approached the shadow dome that covered the center of the city.

"A black dome of shadowy magic?" Mavis retorted.

"You know that's not what I meant!"

Linos walked up to the dome and reached out to touch it.

"Wait!" Mala shouted, instantly recalling her vision as she held out her hand to stop him. Everyone turned to look at her with confused eyes. "I mean, we don't know what's in there or what this dome will do!" she quickly reasoned.

"Well, there's one way to find out!" Linos declared, throwing caution into the wind as he reached for the dome. The others watched in anticipation while Mala simply bit her lip nervously. Once his hand touched the dome, it quickly phased through the shadows.

"So this one we can pass through, unlike the one surrounding the city. But why is that?" Arran examined, following his cousin's lead and putting his own hand through the dome.

"Maybe he wants us to go in?" Mavis suggested.

"That only makes me more worried," Linos admitted. "Why make a dome that keeps everyone inside but then make another in the center of the city that your enemies can just walk right through?"

"A trap, then," Tim said.

"Seems like it, but we don't have much of a choice do we?" Remy asked.

"If Tzan Ren, Hou Yi or Jun were somewhere around here, I think we would have seen them by now or at the very least be ambushed. But we haven't seen any of them since Wei fell or even when all of this started, which means they have to be on the inside of this dome," Arran explained, pointing at the black void in front of them.

"Then trap or not, we have to go in there," Linos determined.

Everyone entered the dome and saw that the condition of the city was even worse once inside. Cars were turned over, crushed and smashed to pieces, store windows shattered and lamp posts and metal poles either bent out of shape or completely ripped out of the ground.

"That's far enough!" They all looked ahead to see Hou Yi standing several feet away from them with her bow in hand as a light breeze blew at her cloak and long, blonde braid.

"Hou Yi, you might as well retreat if you know what's good for you! We took down Wei Gong and you're next if you get in our way!" Linos yelled with a serious tone, clearly not playing around.

"Ha! I'm not surprised Wei fell. A little imp like that thought he could stand with real high class demons like myself. It's honestly still a mystery to me as to why your father would bestow the power of Shadow Earth to such a tiny, insignificant creature. Then again, you'd know all about insignificance and inferiority, wouldn't you?" Hou Yi took a break from her speech to notice Linos glaring at her maliciously. She grinned, knowing that she had touched a nerve with her words. "But I'm afraid you should be the one's retreating. You see, the final Sign has made itself known and wouldn't you believe that it happened to be in the very city you call home?"

"You'd be surprised how many magical items we find here. L.A. must be like some crosspoint for magical energies or something," Mavis remarked.

"Enough of your childish jokes, human! You will not speak unless I address you! As we speak, master Tzan Ren is getting his hands on the last Sign."

"Virgo," Arran spoke. With all the ones that had appeared already, there was only one left that had yet to be found.

"Correct," she grinned.

"And what does Tzan Ren want with the power of Recovery?" he asked.

"Why I should think that's obvious," she mused. "When the crystal wench," she began speaking, sending a quick glare to Mala as she mentioned her mother, "destroyed your father's body, it left him trapped in his astral form. While it means he can survive, it greatly limits his abilities and his effectiveness to rule this world. But as you know, there are ways a Demon Sorcerer can restore what they've lost. Why do you think he's been having us hunt these ridiculous trinkets?"

"B-but to restore a physical body? That's impossible! It's never been done before!" Arran protested.

"For being the keeper of the Signs, I'm surprised you know so little about them. Didn't your mother disclose their secrets unto you before her demise?" she taunted. She grinned as Arran growled under his breath and glared at her. He took a step forward to attack, but Hou Yi raised her hand to stop him. "I wouldn't take another step forward if I were you," she said when she noticed them begin to advance. "Do you not see the circle around me?"

As she said that, everyone looked down at the ground and saw a line of orange markings circling around Hou Yi in a wide diameter. "What is this?" Tim asked.

"That is a very special spell made by my master. He commonly used it as a means to settle scores between his soldiers. Two enter and only one leaves. Only one of you may enter to face me. The others will be forced behind the barrier and will be unable to assist in any way. Do you see this?" she asked, showing them the orange glowing mark on the side of her left upper arm as she motioned to another shadow dome several feet behind her. "This seal is tied to the next dome behind me. Only when I've been defeated will this seal fade and you will be able to advance, but that won't be happening!"

"So who's gonna take her?" Mavis asked.

"How about me? I gotta pay her back for shooting me back in Africa," Drago grinned with excitement as he cracked his knuckles.

"The shot that you didn't even notice until I pointed it out," Mala added. "Maybe I should go. I've got mobility and my armor can take anything she throws at me."

"Are we even going to consider letting me take her?" Mavis asked.

"No!" everyone said firmly at once.

"I know her tactics and how she fights. I've known her since I was a kid," Linos argued.

"No, I'll take her," Arran said, stepping forward and shocking everyone.

"Arran, you sure?" Tim asked.

"Yeah, she took something of mine and I intend to get it back," he replied with a serious glare, recalling their previous encounter in Paris. "Besides, what's more fitting than an archer fighting an archer?"

"Just be careful," Linos cautioned, placing a supportive hand on Arran's shoulder. "Hou Yi plays dirty."

"I'll be fine and I'll get my Sign back," he said with determination.

"Ah, you mean this?" Hou Yi asked, pulling out the Gemini Sign and showing it off to him with a taunting smile. "It certainly has served me well and I found it most hilarious how you fell for its power despite being the owner. But it's not just this one I have. You see, in preparation for the invasion, master felt it appropriate to better arm his commanders. So, he gave me this," she said, pulling out a second Sign from behind her waist.

"Aries," Arran gasped, recognizing the red ram sigil.

"Yes," she grinned maliciously. "You see, I didn't tell my master that I had acquired the Gemini Sign. I guess you could say that I grew quite fond of its powers and I look forward to seeing how it works with Aries. What's the matter?" she asked, feigning concern as she noticed the angry look on his face. "If you want them back so badly, come and get them!"

Arran growled under his breath and stepped forward into the circle. The orange markings that made up the perimeter lit up as a barrier wall manifested quickly for a second before disappearing. Uncertain, Linos reached out and to his disappointment found that the shield remained. Now, the barrier would only fall once one of them was dead and they would not be able to proceed unless it was Hou Yi that fell. Not that Linos doubted his cousin's abilities, but he knew Hou Yi and she played dirty. She always had a trick up her sleeve to catch her opponent off guard and he hoped Arran would either see it coming or be able to adapt to it. The two archers locked eyes and started at each other as a light breeze lifted the robes of their clothing and their long ponytails. Neither seemed phased by the wind and instead just kept their eyes on the other, watching carefully to see who would make the first move.

In the blink of an eye, Hou Yi raised the arm in which she was holding her dark green bow while the other reached behind to her quiver. She pulled two arrows from her quiver and nocked them onto the bowstring. She drew back and aimed before releasing the two arrows right towards Arran. Arran's light wings quickly formed over his back before wrapping around his body protectively, effortlessly deflecting Hou Yi's two arrows. When Arran's wings opened, he had already materialized his light bow and drawn back two arrows of light aimed right at her. He released, returning fire as Hou Yi jumped behind an overturned car for cover. The battle went on like this for some time: one archer jumping out of cover to fire on the other, who ducked just in time to avoid being hit. Soon enough, the battlefield was littered with black and gold arrows, none having hit their intended target.

"Ok, this is getting nowhere," Arran muttered. He had taken refuge behind a tree and slowly peeked his head out. Two arrows whizzed right by his face, nearly cutting his cheek and he quickly drew himself back behind the safety of the tree. Thankfully, though, he saw what he needed to see. Hou Yi was back behind a fallen car once more, but the space behind her was completely wide open. Waving his arm, Arran opened a light portal and jumped through, emerging from a second portal right behind Hou Yi.

"What the?" she cried in surprise, not noticing the archer come at her from behind until it was too late. Arran took advantage of her shock and delivered a swift punch to her cheek, knocking her roughly against the car. The force of the impact knocked the air right out of her lungs and she fell to her hands and knees, gasping for breath. "You're supposed to be an archer," she muttered under her breath.

"Yeah well, it helps to be versatile," Arran smirked, cracking his knuckles. His wings flapped and he took up into the air and flew towards her, kicking her in the side of her head just as she stood back up. As he hovered high above her in the sky, Hou Yi growled under her breath and pushed herself onto her feet. She spat blood onto the ground as a small drop trailed down from the corner of her mouth. Wiping the blood off with the back of her glove, Hou Yi narrowed her eyes at Arran.

"That was a lucky shot, but you won't be so lucky again!" she shouted, quickly raising her hand and bringing it down swiftly. As she moved her hand, a swirl of black wind suddenly forced Arran down to the ground. He landed roughly on his chest and felt the air forced from his lungs as he tightly grasped his chest. He saw a shadow suddenly appear over him and quickly looked up just in time to see Hou Yi with her bow raised above her head to strike him. Arran quickly rolled out of the way, narrowing avoiding the sharp blade-like ends of the bow. He kept backing up as she advanced on him, swinging her bow madly until Arran effortlessly stopped it with his hand around one of the limbs. "What the?" she gasped in surprise.

"Taurus, remember?" Arran smirked as the Signs appeared behind him in a circle, Taurus in particular was lit up. He took a hold of the limb with his other hand and swing with all his might and that of the Taurus Sign.

"Ahhh!" Hou Yi cried. She was still holding onto her bow when Arran swung it, but lost her grip, sending her flying across the battlefield and crashing right into the barrier that surrounded them. She landed on the ground but picked herself back up just as Arran tossed her bow aside and flew up to her. As he neared her, Hou Yi quickly pulled out the Aries Sign and squeezed her fingers tightly around it. The red ram sigil glowed brightly and Hou Yi suddenly charged forward. The force of her sudden speed knocked Arran back as she stood over him confidently. "That's not all!" She switched the Aries Sign for Gemini and Arran was suddenly surrounded by copies of Hou Yi, each armed with a bow aimed right for him. "Now there's nowhere for you to run! Fire!" On her call, the copies released their arrows onto him all at once.

Arran quickly reacted and used the Cancer Sign, materializing a green armor around his body, which easily repelled the arrows. "You'll have to do better than that!" Arran brought his fists down to the ground, smashing the concrete beneath him. The force of the shockwave knocked the copies back, allowing him to get the upper hand. Holding nothing back, Arran charged forward on his feet, smashing aside the Hou Yis that stood in his way. One by one, each of them disappeared once they impacted with the side of wall or any rough surface.

"Ha! Go ahead and keep smashing!" shouted one copy.

"For every duplicate you destroy, I'll just create another in it's place!" finished a second.

"You'll never find the real me!" a third taunted.

Arran growled under his breath as more Hou Yi duplicates appeared as she kept taunting him. But then he had a sudden thought: she certainly had no trouble creating duplicates of herself, but could she duplicate magical artifacts like the Signs? If not, then that would mean that the only Hou Yi that was real would be the one that had the Aries and Gemini Signs! But there was no way he could meditate to sense his Signs when he was constantly being targeted like this. He needed a distraction, something to take the attention off him so he could get a quick second of quiet concentration. With quick thinking, he formed a ball of light in his hand and shot it up into the sky. The light exploded, bathing the area in a blinding white light. As the Hou Yi duplicates cried out, shielding their eyes from the light, Arran took his chance and quickly turned invisible. Once the light died down and the Hou Yi army quickly scrambled to find him, he found refuge inside the trashed remains of a small store. He hid behind the counter and sat down with his legs crossed.

"That should buy me some time," he sighed, "but just in case…" The Scorpio Sign lit up and the sand guardians appeared before him. "Keep them away from me," he ordered. The sand guardians nodded and blew into the wind to engage the Hou Yi army outside. Once they were gone, he turned away form the window, trying to block out the sound of Hou Yi shouting and bows firing. "Ok Libra, show me which one I want." He closed his eyes and concentrated on the Libra Sign, hoping its power would lead him to the real Hou Yi. He could feel his eyes scanning over the battlefield, skimming over each of the Hou Yis until he stopped at one with two glowing objects on her waist. "There you are!" Before returning outside, he turned himself invisible once more and slowly made his way over to the real Hou Yi as identified to him by the Libra Sign. His sand guardians were actually holding up quite well despite the increased fire from the Hou Yis and her use of Shadow Wind in an attempt to disperse them. They simply kept reforming and any arrows they were shot with didn't even affect them. Once he found the archer he was looking for, he formed his light bow and drew back on the string and fired. The arrow pierced Hou Yi's shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain and grip her shoulder in pain as the light energy from the arrow burned her very flesh. The Gemini Sign fell from her belt and rolled off to the side, causing the Hou Yi doubles to disappear. She turned her head to glare at him and, using the Aries Sign, dashed out of the way of his next shot.

The sand guardians quickly turned into a single stream of sand, moving like fluid water in the air, quickly seizing the fallen Gemini Sign and returning it to Arran. Once he held the Gemini Sign in his hand, the sands disappeared as he affixed the Gemini Sign into it's place on the circle of Signs. "One down, one to go," he said confidently.

"Grr, you won't be getting it!" Hou Yi yelled, thrusting her hand forward, sending a whirlwind of black wind towards Arran. The whirlwind struck him in the center of his chest and sent him flying back. He came to his feet just in time to dodge Hou Yi's arrows by disappearing into one of his light portals. "Quit hiding you coward!" she shouted.

"Who said I was hiding?" Arran taunted, reappearing from a light portal on top of a nearby roof. "All right Sagittarius, let's light her up." Arran aimed a single light arrow high into the sky as the Sagittarius Sign lit up and fired. The arrow disappeared into the thick clouds while Hou Yi just stared up at it, confused.

"Ha! What on earth were you aiming for? A pigeon?" she mocked with a loud laugh.

"You'll see," Arran replied with a smirk. He looked up to where his arrow disappeared with a confident smiling, prompting a confused Hou Yi to do the same. For a second, she saw a small flash of light, so tiny that she nearly mistook it for dust in her eyes. That is until the light grew brighter and millions of golden arrows rained down from the sky. Arran simply stood there - his own arrows having no effect on him while Hou Yi howled in pain. She tried her best to find some cover, but she was hit almost immediately, each arrow only slowing her down even more and allowing another arrow to hit her. When it all finally stopped, Hou Yi's entire back was covered in bright gold arrows while some were in her arms and legs. As the arrows disappeared, Hou Yi weakly brought herself up on her hands and knees, panting heavily as the pain from Arran's attack slowly subsided. Arran jumped down from the building, slowing his descent with his light wings. "Ready to give up?"

Still panting out of exhaustion and pain, Hou Yi just managed to lift her head up and glare at Arran viciously. Slowly and as subtly as she could manage in her weakened state, she reached back behind her waist and under her cloak and retrieved a small, wavy dagger. "The only one who should be giving up… IS YOU!" she shrieked madly. In her other hand, she took the Aries Sign and activated its power, sending her flying forward, charging towards Arran. As the Sign's power thrust her forward at such an incredible force, she raised her other hand - the one that held the dagger - ready to plunge it into her opponent's chest.

However, Arran saw this and quickly side stepped out of the way. He raised his arm parallel to the ground as he stepped to the side and the Cancer Sign's armor instantaneously formed around his body. Hou Yi's eyes shot wide open as she saw this, but the Aries Sign's power had already been activated and she couldn't stop herself. She couldn't stop herself as she came in contact with Arran's arm, knocking her right into the ground flat on her back while her dagger flew out of her hand and landed slanted in the dirt. Despite being empowered by the Aries Sign, the Cancer Sign's armor quickly stopped her in her tracks. The armor disappeared as Arran knelt down next to Hou Yi, who struggled to breath after the impact combined with the light arrows she was struck with earlier.

"What are you waiting for?" she struggled to whisper, "Finish it. I d-deserve a clean death."

"There's a lot of things you deserve Hou Yi, but I don't think death is one of them," Arran whispered back. "You don't have to choose this; you can have a better life."

"And spend it hiding in plain sight? You half-breeds and your cousin are despicable! You shame our kind by hiding among these pathetic creatures, living among them as equals!" she spat.

"It's not about hiding, Hou Yi. Why do you think every Sorcerer has failed to conquer this world? Because humans can't be ruled, they shouldn't be. At least, not by our kind. It's far more worth it to live among them, learn from them, bond with them."

"Haha, learn? Bond? What could I possibly stand to gain from filthy humans? How naive you sound.. It's sickening," she laughed weakly.

"It's not too late to change Hou Yi," Arran pleaded.

"Change? Who said I want to change? I'm more than content with who I am and what I've done and I don't need a filthy half-breed like you trying to redeem me! I don't need redemption! I don't want it!" Hou Yi suddenly stopped to cough violently before she continued speaking, this time in a quieter tone. "Typical light demon… always preaching and seeing the good where there just isn't any. You think there is a light in me? A light of goodness and compassion? You are wasting your time."

"Whether you see it or not, Hou Yi, there is some good in you."

"What would you know?"

"Your relationship with Tso Lan," he stated.

"What of it?" she glared.

"It's rare for a demon to feel something so strong and genuine for another. My mother felt it for my father and your master once felt it for my cousin's mother, just as you feel it with Tso Lan. There is a light inside you Hou Yi. I can help you."

"I… don't need help from the likes of you!" she cried, raising her voice. She tried sitting up, but pain shot through her body and she quickly fell back down. Arran reached out to help her, but she batted his hands away. "Don't touch me! I'm getting tired hearing you preach to the good side you think I have! Your mother made you soft, just as Hsian Ji made Linos soft! The two of you are a disgrace to our kind! I won't make that mistake with mine; I won't have mine be weak like you!"

"With your…" Arran whispered, confused.

"It doesn't matter now. Nothing you do matters now. You will fail! Tzan Ren will reclaim his body and this world will be his for the taking! And when he resurrects me, I shall watch with great joy as he makes you and Linos and all your half-breed and human friends suffer! And then when he gives the order, I'll execute you myself, an act I will take great pleasure in doing!" Her breathing had hastened while she spoke, but it slowly calmed down as she turned away from Arran and looked up into the sky. The dark clouds shrouding the city had parted slightly, leaving a small open circle of the night sky open for her to see. Amidst the dark navy sky, she could see the bright and brilliant silver moon. "At least… at least, you are the last thing I get to see… my love. Until we meet… again," she struggled to whisper, never taking her eyes off the moon as those last words left her lips. As the clouds covered the sky, obscuring the moon once more, Hou Yi's glowing red eyes suddenly dimmed.

Arran gasped and reached down to feel for a pulse, but stopped when the orange mark on her arm suddenly glowed brightly before dimming also. He looked around him and saw the barrier disappear as the orange inscriptions locking the next dome also disappeared. He turned his attention back to Hou Yi as the others caught up to him just in time to see her disintegrate into dust, which was carried away by a small gust of wind.

"So… are we having a moment of silence for our fallen enemy or something?" Mavis asked.

"I'm not sad that she's gone," Linos admitted, "She was evil, mean to me all my life growing up and she tried on multiple occasions to kill me and my friends."

"Maybe this was the only way then. We wouldn't be able to progress unless she died," Arran muttered sadly. "I thought for a second there that she'd want some sort of consolation or… something," he said, not even sure of his words.

"Not everyone's like us Arran," Mala said, laying a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "But I think it was noble of you to try."

"Nobility can only get us so far," he replied.

"Then we shouldn't waste any more time. We should progress to the next barrier and I think I know who'll be guarding it," Linos said. Everyone nodded and progressed to the next dome. Once they entered, the damage of the city only worsened, but the strange thing was that debris and cars were all moved to the side, leaving the large street open and clear. Linos held out his arm, stopping everyone from progressing any further as he pointed to the ground, identifying the orange inscriptions just like the one right before Hou Yi.

"I've been waiting for you." They all looked up to see Jun standing within the orange circle with his star sword in hand.

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**I think out of everything that's happened in City Shadows throughout all the arcs, this was perhaps the most difficult chapter to write. The whole chapter was just the fight between two archers and I didn't want them just firing back and forth at each other. That would be boring. But man, all that trouble and work was worth it and this is by far one of my favorite chapters :)**

**Same deal as before guys, 5 non-anonymous reviews on this chapter and I'll post the next chapter immediately. I thank those of you who have been reviewing regularly and encourage those who haven't been leaving reviews to do so. Not only will it get y'all an early post before next week, but I do like to hear your thoughts and ideas. And yeah, inclusion of the Chan clan has been a common suggestion/plea, but seriously guys, I wouldn't hold your breath is I was you.**

**But yeah, if I were to receive those 5 non-anonymous reviews in the span of one day, I'd upload the next chapter splicady split! But again, that all depends on you readers and if you'll care to take the minute it takes to leave me your thoughts. Ok, now I sound pretentious. Time to cut that short.**

**Next chapter: Remy vs Jun, Falling Stars**


	18. Falling Stars

**This was probably another one of my favorite chapters to write, and also one of the most annoying and difficult. Sure, it was a challenge to really make a one-on-one fight between two archers more dynamic and eventful, but just a couple chapters ago, I wrote quite a detailed battle between Remy and Jun. So, it was a challenge to come up with some new stuff and not repeat anything that I've already written in the past few times these two have fought. But, I hope you enjoy the fruits of my labor.**

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"I've been waiting for you," Jun simply said with his arms crossed.

"I'm guessing you're the last one?" Linos asked.

Jun nodded. "Yes, I am all that stands between you and Tzan Ren. However, I will not fall so easily. It comes as no surprise to me that you were able to best Hou Yi, Light-Bringer. Her skill and prowess is matched only by her arrogance. You will find that I do not suffer from that same deficiency. And in case you are wondering, the same rules apply here as well. Two enter, one leaves."

Before they could begin to discuss who would fight Jun, Remy stepped forward with his swords at the ready. "Well I guess that answers that," Mavis mused.

"Remy, you sure about this?" Linos asked.

"Yeah, I've got this," he replied confidently, turning back for a moment only to respond to his friends. Without another word from anyone, Remy stepped forward into the circle, once again causing the orange inscriptions to light up as well as the orange mark on Jun's left hand to glow briefly as well.

"I was hoping it would be you," Jun smiled, reaching over his shoulder to the sword on his back.

"I've got a score to settle with you, after all."

"Before we start, however, I just want to make one thing clear. Hou Yi's interference was of her own choosing. I didn't ask her to do that. I would have released your brother unharmed regardless of the outcome," he said sincerely.

"You still kidnapped him, my brother, a civilian! Nothing you say will make me forgive you for that!" Remy shouted.

"Very well. I understand your conviction," Jun sighed, closing his eyes. He reached into his jacket, causing Remy to take a battle stance, instantly preparing himself. "Relax, this is not for you," he said, pulling out the Aquarius Sign from inside his jacket. "My master gave this to me, in hopes that I would use it's power to defeat you." In the blink of an eye, Jun whipped his arm and threw the Sign right towards Remy, who instantly caught it in his hand as he dropped his sword.

"Wha?" Remy asked in surprise.

"I do not need its power to defeat you and I am insulted that he would think I can't defeat you on my own," Jun remarked, readying his sword.

Remy took a look at Jun and then the Sign, then back at Jun before turning around and tossing the Sign through the barrier to Arran, who caught it in his hand. Turning back to face Jun, Remy retook the sword he dropped into his hand, readying himself as Jun did the same. "I'm surprised Tzan Ren would let you so openly pursue this. Doesn't he want you focused on what he wants?"

"He does, but he doesn't have a choice. We made a deal," Jun explained, showing the scar across his palm. "Are you familiar with a blood oath?" he asked.

"A blood oath?"

"Two demons strike a deal, enforced by blood. If one side fails to hold up their end, they could die. I had no interest in joining an army, but Tzan Ren wouldn't take no for an answer. Threats didn't work on me so he proposed a deal. I join his Legion, but should I find myself a potential rival to test my metal against, I would be allowed to pursue that unhindered. He does not like the deal, but he tolerates it to have me on his side. But I think that's enough talk now."

The two swordsmen charged forward and their swords instantly clashed, creating a loud metal clang with each collision. Remy tried to take advantage of the fact that he was armed with one more sword than Jun and strike him from the right, but Jun raised his arm and deflected Remy's sword off his metal gauntlet. Jun didn't waste a second in launching his own counter attack and swept Remy's feet out from under him with his long tail. Remy landed on his back roughly as Jun stepped over him and raised his sword with the tip of the blade ready to stab him. Remy quickly brought his sword up and knocked Jun's blade to the side just enough that it missed his head and stabbed into the dirt instead. As Jun tried to pull his sword out of the ground, Jun reached into his pockets and pulled out a taser. Pointing it at Jun, he pressed the button and two cords shot out and clung to Jun's jacket. A second later, Jun's body shook violently as the taser delivered a powerful shock. Remy took his chance and moved out from under Jun and put some distance between them just as Jun struggled to reach up and yank the cords off his jacket.

"Impressive," he panted, "I didn't expect that."

"The wonders of technology. Ryder hunters like to keep their arsenal up to date," Remy replied. He quickly whipped out his sun blades and threw them at Jun. He managed to deflect three of them, but the last one manage to nick him right in the arm. Jun hissed in pain and touched his arm, the blood from the cut coating his hand. Jun countered with a quick stream of starbolts, all of which Remy just managed to dodge while taking cover behind a car. Jun jumped onto the car and flipped over Remy, landing in front of him and pinning him against the car. Remy quickly pulled out a kusarigama and began whipping the chain and scythe around in a perfectly choreographed routine. Jun took a step back to avoid the moving blade as Remy moved forward. Suddenly, Remy pulled the scythe into his hand and wrapped the chain around Jun's sword. Jun tried to pull his sword away, but the chain was too tight and Remy had too firm of a grip. Jun looked at his sword and then at Remy before completely releasing his hold on the sword, allowing Remy to pull it towards him. Remy looked at him surprised, but nonetheless reached for the sword and picked it up.

Jun held out his hand and all of a sudden, the disappeared from Remy's hand and reappeared in Jun's. "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way." Jun charged towards Remy, who quickly moved out of the way, but yelped when he felt his scarf tighten around his neck. Jun had managed to grab onto the long green material and held a firm grip on it. In his surprise, Remy let go of his kusarigama, but quickly reached for one of his swords and moved it behind his back and sliced straight up through the scarf. Remy rolled away to put some distance between them and pulled out two sleek and thin black, serrated swords. Jun advanced in return, forming a star construct sword in his other hand. Again their blades clashed one on one, metal on metal, _cling_ and _clang_. Both fighters tried their best, but neither could get either of the blades close enough to strike the other. All four blades clashed at once and Jun and Remy pushed on their swords, trying to overpower each other with raw force. Finally, the two pushed off from each other and took two steps back.

Jun waved his sword in a circle once more, sending out another wave of starbolts that Remy just wasn't prepared for. Despite his best efforts to deflect them, the bolts struck him mercilessly, causing him to fall back onto the ground roughly on his back, dropping his swords in the process.

"Funny, this certainly wasn't how I thought this would end," Jun grinned, walking up to and standing over Remy.

Remy pushed himself into a seated position and glared angrily up at Jun. He watched as the blue demon slowly raised the navy sword over his head, ready to finish him with a killing blow. Remy quickly reacted, jumping up and flicking his wrist, causing a sleek, silver blade to emerge from the armor on the underside of his gauntlet. He charged forward and thrust the blade deep into Jun's chest, leaving his palm resting on the demon's chest. Jun's eyes widened in shock as his breath hitched. His grip on his sword slacked and the blade fell from his hands and into the ground, sitting at an angle. Remy pulled the blade out of Jun's chest and stepped back, the demon's blood dripping from the tip of the blade. Jun stepped back as well, just barely catching himself from falling as his hand covered the wound on his chest, coating his hand with his blood. To Remy's surprise, Jun smiled.

"Well… done…" he struggled to utter. Remy looked at him, puzzled and while he prepared to attack again, Jun held up his hand to stop him. Remy wasn't sure why, but he relaxed and lowered his arms. "Enough… I yield."

"You… yield? You yield?" Remy cried in a mixture of surprise and confusion. "But the battle isn't over!"

"Yes, it is," Jun replied. "All this time, I've wanted to fight you. Never at any point did I say I wanted to kill you."

"Then what has all of this been about then?" he shouted.

"What I want in the end," he muttered.

"And what is that?"

"My end."

"Wh-what are you talking about? What do you mean your end?" Remy asked, confused by Jun's constant riddles.

"I am a warrior, Remington and fighting is all I know. Fighting is all I have ever done and fighting is how I was born."

"I don't understand," Remy said, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"As a demon, I was not born by conventional methods."

"What are you talking about?"

"It's funny, you know, how powerful emotions can be. A child cherishes their toy so much that a spirit is born from that toy, the collective mourning of mothers who have lost their child gives birth to a spirit obsessed with reclaiming her lost child, and the collective burning passion of a warrior's spirit gave birth to me. You see, that is why I fight, Remington. Battle is what I was born from, so battle is all I do. This drive I was born from, it pushes me to fight and better myself, as any true, respectable warrior would. That is why I search for worthy opponents so I may test my abilities and push myself to my limits and surpass them."

"Then if all you've wanted to do is fight, why is this," Remy shouted, motioning to his own bloody blade and Jun's fatal wound, "what you want?"

"Because I am tired, Remington," Jun sighed heavily. "For thousands of years, all I've done is fight and fight. If there's one thing I've grown to envy your kind for, it's your short life span. You humans take it for granted, thinking that with longevity such as ours, you will be able to do all the things you want. But life is only so meaningful and enjoyable because it is so short. If it does not end, then what is the point?"

"So if you were so desperate to just end it, why didn't you do that on your own? Why orchestrate all of this?"

"I am a warrior and I have lived my life by a code of honor and that honor demands that I not lay down my sword until I am defeated by one who is truly better than I. Only then can I feel right about putting down my sword for good. Before I joined the Shadow Legion, I scouted the world, mine and this one, for a warrior who could best me. But I found that too many of my kind relied on their magic rather than skill and in the major absence of my kind in this world, humans grew less preoccupied with sword battle. The only reason I accepted Tzan Ren's offer to join was because I hoped it would allow me better chances to find strong opponents. And then I found you. I had feared the Ryder Clan had died off, been brushed away from history into myths and legends just as my kind had been. But when I saw your crest that day, I felt something within me that I had not felt in years."

"What was that?" Remy asked.

"Hope. You gave me hope, Remington, and now you have given me peace. And I thank you for that," Jun smiled before he suddenly groaned in pain and fell to one knee, clutching his chest wound. Remy instinctively took a step forward and reached out to help him, but Jun held up his other hand to stop the slayer. "No, it's all right. This is what I want," he said, as out from the wound began pouring a thick black mist into the air. "D-do you remember what I said when we first fought?" he asked, struggling to speak as with every passing second, he grew weaker and weaker.

Remy nodded.

"I said that you were not your ancestor… Even now, I still stand by that assessment." Remy glared at Jun, which made him chuckle weakly. "You are better," he quickly added, causing Remy's glare of anger to soften. "The Ryder slayer I first fought was a seasoned warrior, far older than you. As a result, he was far too cemented in his ways. It was not until recently that I realized I had been going about selecting worthy opponents all wrong. I always chose adults, those who had seen battle and fought all their lives honing the skills, like me. I should have been looking for a child."

"And what's the difference?" asked Remy.

"Adults will have reached their peaks, but as a child, you still have so much more to experience, so much more to take in and learn than your predecessors. You have yet to reach your peak. That… is why I chose you, because only a child could be the one to defeat me. Your ancestors would be proud. Uggh…" Jun groaned, falling forward to the ground. He only managed to hold himself up by one hand while the other continued to grasp at the wound, which was giving off more and more black mist.

"Jun, you're dying…" Remy pointed out.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you sound displeased, almost sad, even. But you should not be, in the end, this is what I wanted. Now… now I can rest," he sighed happily as he slowly pushed himself up back onto his feet. "It's funny, I've spent all my life fighting, I wonder if I'll even be able to stop. Time will tell perhaps. But, before I go, there is one more thing I must ask of you."

"What?"

"I know I have no right to make a request of you, given how dishonorable I was in our last battle, but I-"

"I won't deny a dying man his last request, so just tell me what it is," Remy interrupted, causing Jun to chuckle with a light smile.

"I knew I made the right choice in picking you. For my final request, I want you to take my sword."

"Your sword?"

"Yes," Jun said firmly as the navy sword materialized from its place in the ground behind him to his free hand. "Qian Xing Po has been the only sword I've fought with and it deserves a worthy wielder. Since I am no longer suited to wield the blade, I would like to pass it on to you."

"B-but why me?"

"Because you are worthy. You may decline, if you wish, or accept and simply never lay a hand on the blade and let it sit on a wall as your trophy over my defeat. What you do with it is up to you. But know this," he said, taking hold of the blade just beneath the guard and holding the handle out to Remy. "Unlike me, a sword does not tire for battle. Qian Xing Po deserves to continue seeing a worthy fight and it will serve you as well as it has served me."

Though hesitant, Remy slowly reached out to grasp the handle. He tried to think of any reason not to take it, that maybe Jun was playing a trick on him. But trickery and deceit wasn't Jun's style, that was more Hou Yi's thing. Except for that one instance, Jun had always been upfront about his intentions. And it wasn't like Remy hadn't taken weapons from a demon and added them to his own arsenal before! How was this any different from when he took Tai Ci's sun blades? Oh, that's right, because this weapon was being offered to him. Though the Ryder Clan had their tradition in claiming weapons of demons as their prize and repurposing them against their former wielders, one thing Remy remembered from his parents' lessons was that you should never take what a demon is offering. Sure not all demons were bad, half of his friends were demons, but could he really put Jun in the same pot as them? Besides, Jun was dying, that fact was clear, so what could he have to gain? Before Remy even realized it, his hand was wrapped around the handle of the sword. He wasn't sure what it was that compelled him to do it, but he just knew deep down that nothing bad would happen if he did. The sword glowed for a moment, as if accepting and recognizing its new master, prompting Jun to release his hold on the blade and step back.

"From this moment forth, the blade is yours. What will you call it?" Jun asked.

"Call it?" Remy looked at him confused.

"Qian Xing Po is what I called the blade when I used it. Now that it serves you, it should have a new name to signify its allegiance. You don't need to decide now, but I'm sure you'll come up with a good one," he smiled, before turning around and walking off. He stopped for a moment and turned to look at Remy over his shoulder, "Thank you, Remington, for giving me the freedom and peace I desired." With that, Jun's body erupted in black mist and slowly dissipated into the wind, leaving only an old, rusty sword planted firmly in the dirt.

Remy looked down at the blade as the barrier around him disappeared and the path to the final shadow dome unlocked. He kept staring at the blade even when his friends made their way up to him in congratulations.

"Remy, you ok?" they asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied.

"You don't look fine," Mala noticed.

"I… I guess, I just didn't expect it to end like this between us," Remy lamented.

"So what are you going to call it?" Mavis asked.

"I was thinking… Starshatter. To be honest, Qian Xing Po and Thousand Star Breaker are a bit of a mouthful to say and I would like to keep with the star theme," Remy answered.

"So does this mean you'll be using your new magic, demon sword now?" Drago asked.

"We'll see," Remy smiled, sheathing the sword on his back.

They advanced to the final dome, where the sky was the darkest, nearly blanketing the entire area in shadows. When they tried to enter, they were pushed back by an invisible force as the dome crackled with black electricity.

"What's going on? Why can't we go in?" Mavis whined.

Mala stepped forward and tried stabbing her pink claws into the shield, but she was swiftly and painfully shocked by the black lightning, prompting Drago to pull her away from the shield.

"We were able to pass through the first two, so why not this one?" Tim asked.

Linos stepped forward and reached out to touch the barrier, only to shock everyone that he could pass through it with no trouble. His hand disappeared into the dome before he pulled it back out. "I can go through no problem."

"Perhaps this is Tzan Ren's doing. Only shadow demons can advance from here," Arran suggested.

"Why would he do that?" Drago asked.

"Because he wants me alone," Linos answered, stepping forward.

"Ok, you seriously don't think we're going to let you go in there alone, are you? You do remember how we barely managed to beat him last time, right?" Mavis asked.

"I don't have a choice," he muttered.

"She's right, Linos. You can't go in there," Mala said, stepping up.

"Why?"

"Because… because if you go in there, you'll die!" she shouted, unable to hold in her secret any longer.

"Die? What are you talking about, Mala?" Linos asked, walking up to her.

"I didn't want to say anything because I know I'm nowhere near my mother's level of crystallomancy and I was desperately hoping it wouldn't be true…" she muttered with sad eyes.

"What wouldn't be true?" Arran asked.

"If you go in there, Linos, you're going to die. I've seen it."

"And you kept this from us?" Mavis shouted.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know what to do! I haven't mastered crystallomancy yet, but every time I tried to see the future with the slightest change, it always ends up the same: you go in there Linos, you die. I couldn't see anything that happens in there clearly except that. I didn't know how to tell you."

"I understand," Linos replied.

"Y-you do?" they all exclaimed in shock.

"And I don't care," he continued, turning to face the dome.

"Linos wait!" Mavis cried, running in between him and the dome. "You can't seriously be thinking about doing this! I'm not even going to bother telling you how many times this has happened in movies where the hero doesn't come back!"

"But he still saves the day, even if it's at the cost of his own life, right?"

"B-but…"

"I'm sorry, Mavis. I hope you can forgive me," he muttered, putting his left hand on her left shoulder and easily pushing her aside as he stepped through the barrier.

"Hey! Linos, get back here! Linos! LINOS!" Mavis shouted after him, banging her fists on the dome only to pull back sharply when the electricity shocked her, but nothing reemerged from the dome.

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**The overall fighting was short, I know it was . Even in writing, fight sequences turn out a lot shorter than in animations and such, but I really hope it and the subsequent long dialogue was good for you guys :)**

**Well, how's that for the end of the Swordmaster? During initial concepts, Jun was the only one who we didn't have a "thing" for. He was just a blank slate and I couldn't come up with anything! But sure enough, slowly, but surely, my brain worked its magic and this was the end that I foresaw for Jun's character. I never really viewed him as a villain or anything, just a noble guy with his own goals who happens to work for a bad person. This is what makes him my favorite of the Commanders. I just find him the most badass and complex. If it helps you to understand Jun's character, here are two comparisons that kinda influenced my writing of him:**

**1\. the Mu-on'na/Unmother from Inuyasha: Myoga explains that this yokai was born from the grief of mothers who had lost their sons to famine and war. That got me thinking that perhaps some demons in the JCA world could be born through that method too! (Honestly, I can't remember if something like this happened in the canon show.) So Jun is kinda like the Unmother, except he was born from the collective warrior's spirits in soldiers and fighters. That's why he desires battle so much.**

**2\. Jean Girard from Talladega Nights: of all things, right? But hear me out. Jean explicitly states that he wants Ricky to defeat him so that he can retire, but that doesn't mean Jean is going to take it easy on Ricky in order to lose. I interpret that as Jean's honor demanding he be truly defeated by someone superior to him, with him giving it his all. That was sorta the influence behind Jun's motivations. He wants Remy to defeat him so he can just stop fighting, but honor demands he give it his all. **

**Alas, now we progress into the final sequence of arc 3, which will last 3 chapters. All 3 chapters have been written and completed. But the same deal applies: if I get 5 NON-ANONYMOUS reviews on this chapter, I will post chapter 19 early. If not, you'll all have to wait until next friday. So, I urge those readers who have not been posting any comments to start now. You'll contribute to an early post and I want to hear your thoughts! Plus, those two silhouetted characters on my deviantart? Yeah, I'm only posting them once arc 3 is done, so there's that too.**

**Review count so far: 3**


	19. Father and Son

**And that's 5! Normally, I don't do that 'withholding the next chapter until I get more reviews' thing, but I'm aware that there are people reading who don't leave any comments. Plus, I kinda imposed it to limit myself as well. If I know I've got the rest of the chapters finished, it's highly likely I end up spam uploading, and I don't want to do that .**

**Oh and drakin6345 asked a very good question: now that the Commanders are dead, are they still alive in astral form? The answer is no. In our take on the JCA lore, only the Demon Sorcerer class of demons are capable of using astral projection/form powers. So, lesser demons like Wei Gong, Hou Yi and Jun Bing are dead dead, dead for good aka not coming back. **

**Anyway, enjoy this early chapter!**

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As he walked deeper and deeper into the shadow dome, he could hear the cries of his friends calling out to him grow quieter with each step until he couldn't hear them at all. His heart ached at hearing them calling after him. They desperately tried to reason with him, to get him to turn around, but he didn't falter and instead kept moving forward. Even with Mala's reveal of his impending death should he go in alone, he knew it was the only option. And he didn't care if he did end up dying, just as long as the menace that was his father was stopped for good. At least then… then he could live with himself for leaving behind his friends.

He wasn't sure how long or how far into the dome he had traveled. It felt like only a few seconds, but at the same time, it felt like he had been walking for hours! Whatever magic was going on here, it was clearly affecting his perception. But he couldn't let it get to him, he had to keep focused! His father would take any advantage that he could over him. He tried looking around for a landmark or anything physical to help himself identify where he was, but all he saw around him was rubble and broken concrete, not exactly major markers. He turned back to look at the shadow dome behind him expecting it to be very far behind him, but to his surprise, it was as if he had only taken two steps away! All of a sudden, the dome contracted and began shrinking as all sides began closing in on him. He felt like the air was being squeezed out of his lungs as he desperately gasped for air. Thankfully, the suffocation ended and Linos fell to his hands and knees, inhaling sharply as he no longer felt like he was being crushed.

"What the devil is going on here?" he breathed, noticing that the shadows, while not completely gone, had mostly dissipated. The dome was back in it's original place, but whether it had actually moved or not, he couldn't be sure. Judging by the distance between himself and the dome in all directions, he guessed that he had to be somewhere in the middle.

Linos looked up when he heard a sharp cackling coming from ahead of him. His eyes widened and teeth grit angrily as he recognized the figure before him. "Not the devil, but something far worse," the shadow figure remarked as Hei and An stood on either side of it. It turned to face him and Linos immediately recognized the pink facial markings and the shadow's bright red eyes. Sure, red eyes were a feature that all demons shared no matter their power or ranking, but he recognized the way that these eyes in particular looked at him. It wasn't just with anger or hatred, but a burning resentment that fuelled an anger within their bearer that would not be satisfied until he was dead.

"Father," Linos greeted begrudgingly.

"Ah, my disappointment of a son. I'm so glad you could make it to watch me destroy the city you hold dear and enslave these miserable creatures you love so much!"

"Not like you weren't trying. A final shadow dome that only allows shadow demons to enter? You wanted me alone and that was your only way of ensuring it."

"Well, I certainly didn't want your allies to interfere with family business!"

"Ha, if you wanted only family here, you should have let Arran in. You know, the light demon? He is your nephew after all," Linos remarked, crossing his arms.

"Nephew? So, my twin sister managed to bear a child after all? I should have known she would hide her offspring here. For all her weakness, she knew how to keep a secret, I will give her that. But it matters not, your cousin will be no help to you and he will suffer the same fate as his mother."

"Take a look around! Your commanders have fallen! My friends and I single handedly took each of them down. You've got nothing left!" Linos shouted.

"On the contrary, I have everything I need," he glared, holding up the final Sign to show Linos in a shadow blob of a hand. "You know what this is, don't you?"

"The last Sign," Linos answered.

"Precisely. My sister created these. Your friends have interfered long enough in my attempts to gather these, but it doesn't matter to me anymore, not now when I have the one I've been looking for. You know this one's power, don't you?" he asked, showing his son the face of the Sign, an emblem of a winged, cloaked woman in grey.

"Virgo, Recovery," he answered, remembering that Arran had mentioned it before. "And what use do you have for a Sign that heals when all you do is cause destruction?"

"Haha, you think too small, my son. It is true that Virgo's power is only able to heal wounds, but in the hands of one who shares Shuo Guang's blood, it is capable of so much more! Behold!" Linos covered his eyes as the Virgo Sign lit up and released a bright shining light. "Aaaah, that's much better." Linos gasped when he heard his father's voice, or rather, how different it sounded. It no longer had that echoey, ghostly effect akin to a Demon Sorcerer's astral form. Instead, it sounded… normal. Hesitantly, he lowered his arm and opened his eyes and gasped loudly at the sight of his father before him, his body completely restored. Tzan Ren took in a deep breath, as if he were relishing the smell or just the sensation of being able to physically breath after so long.

"H-how?"

"Normally it would require a far more intricate spell to reconstruct a Demon Sorcerer's body and I simply didn't have the time to acquire the ingredients or find someone strong enough to perform the spell. So, I had to turn my attention elsewhere. It was then when I remembered my sister's Signs. I never cared for them before; the last thing I wanted was to stain my own power with the likes of hers! Even now the thought of her and her goodness sickens me!" Tzan Ren stopped speaking for a moment and narrowed his eyes at his son. "You're a lot like her."

"So is that why you hate me so much? Because I'm like her? Your good half?"

"It is so much more than just that! I lost everything because of you!"

"What are you talking about?"

"You would never understand and I simply don't care to enlighten you. You share much with my sister and you're about to share one more thing: you will both fall by my hand!" Tzan Ren tossed the Virgo Sign aside, no longer needing its power, and held his hand out and materialized a large curved, orange broadsword.

Without warning, Tzan Ren charged forward, nearly catching Linos off guard. He quickly jumped into the air with a single beat of his wings and hovered over just as Tzan Ren brought his broadsword down on where he had been standing just a second ago. He opened his mouth to let out a sonic scream down to his father, but the Shadow Demon Sorcerer lifted up his broadsword and held it over his head, blocking most of the blast. When Linos stopped, Tzan Ren lifted his hand as it crackled with the same black electricity that the dome had sparked earlier. A bolt of lightning suddenly shot down from the sky and struck Linos on his back right between his wings.

"AAAHHH!" he cried out in pain as the blast knocked him out of the sky. Linos struggled to push himself up as his back ached from the attack. He remembered Mala mentioning she had been struck by lightning before, twice in fact, and he couldn't help but wonder if it was supposed to hurt this much. He was so distracted by the pain that he didn't notice his father slowly marching over to him, laughing as he came.

"Hahaha," he laughed before sighing in content. "You know, of all the elements I stole, none was more fitting for me as Tchang Zu's lightning," he mused as he examined the black lightning that crackled in his hands.

"T-Tchang Zu? The Thunder Demon Sorcerer? What does he have to do with this?" Linos struggled as he spoke, panting heavily.

"Haven't you figured it out already, boy?" Tzan Ren asked, taking a hand full of Linos' hair and roughly pulling him up by it.

"Ah!" Linos couldn't help but cry out as he instinctively went to grip his father's arm, trying to lessen his father's grip on his hair.

"Didn't you find it odd that two of my commanders and my hounds could control such elements?"

"I just thought they were unique…"

"Ha! Unique? I'm the one that's unique! I stole those powers and bestowed them unto my followers! That is what Ying Zei allows me to do!"

"Ying Zei?" Linos asked, confused.

"'Shadow Thief'," Tzan Ren clarified. "A secondary ability extended from my default Chi, related or unrelated to it. Every Demon Sorcerer has at least one, and Shadow Thief is mine. What it allows me to do is syphon off a portion of my victim's Chi, not all, just a tiny bit," he explained with his thumb and index finger nearly touching, "All I need is a fraction of their power, which I then infuse with my own Shadow Demon Chi and create a shadow element. I stole powers from many Demon Sorcerers. Xiao Fung's wind I gave to Hou Yi, Dai Gui's earth to Wei Gong and Shen Du's fire to Hei Gou and An Gou, but I kept Tchang Zu's power for myself." As he finished speaking, Tzan Ren thrust his hand against Linos' chest, sending a surge of black electricity through him. He cackled loudly at the sight of his son in such pain. "Now, any last words?"

"Yeah…" Linos whispered, but Tzan Ren couldn't hear him.

"What?"

"..."

"What?" he asked again, unable to hear Linos' whisper. He put his ear right by Linos' mouth so he could be sure he heard it this time, but instead, Linos grinned widely and let out the loudest sonic scream he could muster.

"AAHH!" Tzan Ren shouted, releasing his grip on Linos to cover his ears as the force of the scream sent him flying back. Linos took this chance to get up into the air and put some distance between them. He was careful, however, not to fly too high and risk getting hit with lightning again. Once was enough.

"Ha! You fell for the oldest trick in the book!" Linos taunted.

"Grrr… Typical, I fell for the very same trick when your mother tried it, right before I killed her," Tzan Ren taunted back. He grinned evilly as he saw his son grit his teeth angrily in response. "Do you know what her last words were? She didn't beg for her life like I expected her to. I mused with the idea of sparing her if she begged enough and swore fealty to me. She did beg, but for your life. She said that I could do whatever I wanted to her as she begged me to spare you! The Hsian Ji I fell in love with would have never put anyone else before her."

"People change!" Linos roared as he flew down towards his father. Tzan Ren raised his sword, ready to strike, but Linos was quicker with his wings and zipped right over his father, just lightly scratching his bald head. He moved in to strike again, but instead of striking with his sword, Tzan Ren shot his hand forward and released a bolt of lightning up towards Linos. He narrowly avoided the bolt, but the sudden swerve of his movement in mid-flight caused him to lose balance and plummet to the ground. Just as he picked himself up, a circle of black flames formed around him as Tzan Ren advanced. Hei and An jumped over the flames and stalked towards him just a few steps behind their master.

"You feel it, don't you? The fear? Even now I can see it in your eyes," he laughed.

"I'm not afraid of you," he muttered angrily as his father stood over him.

"Heheheh, you should be!" Tzan Ren roared as his entire body suddenly turned into a thick black mist. The same happened with Hei and An as the three bodies of mist pooled together to form a single entity. When the mist cleared, before Linos stood a snarling three-headed beast with bright red eyes. Thick scales covered the beast's body, reminiscent of the scales on Hei and An, and the horns on each of the three heads resembled Hei, Tzan Ren and An's. "Why do you think they call me the Shadowbeast?" the creature snarled, leaping onto Linos, who just managed to avoid the attack by sinking into his shadow and moving behind the creature.

Linos could hardly believe it. His father just turned into a cerberus! He had no idea this was even possible! He thought he knew all the limits and secrets to his father's powers, but the dreaded realization was hitting him that he didn't know anything at all. He barely had time to process this sudden new development as the three heads breathed fire and lightning at him. He took off into the air to avoid the blast and return fire with a sonic scream, but the creature's thick body made his sonic attack almost worthless. He landed on it's back and reached for the horns on the middle head. Judging from the pink markings and the fact that it was the only head to breath lightning and not fire, he knew the middle head had to be his father's. He dug his talons into the cerberus' skin and he just managed to pierce hard enough through the thick scales. His presence certainly garnered a reaction from the cerberus, as the beast suddenly began jumping, trying to shake Linos off like a mechanical bull. He did his best to keep a tight grip and was eventually shaken off. Before he even had a chance to get up, the cerberus pounced on him and pushed him roughly onto the ground, pinning him down with its right claw. He cried out in pain as the cerberus' claws dug into his back and shoulders.

"When will you learn boy? You will never surpass me; you will always be beneath me," his father taunted. The middle head raised its head high, mouth wide open to shoot out lightning when all of a sudden, the left head, the one with red markings, roared and began snarling at the middle head. Linos looked up in confusion at the turmoil that suddenly erupted between the heads. The giant claw pinning him to the ground was suddenly lifted off his chest and instead went to scratch and claw at the other two heads, who equally roared in response. Before he could question anything else, the beast suddenly split back into his father and the twin hounds.

"You little bitch!" Tzan Ren shouted, marching over to An and swiftly kicking the sleeker hound in her stomach. She whimpered loudly as the kick sent her right into a large slab of debris.

"Leave her alone!" Linos shouted, rushing towards his father. However, Tzan Ren wasn't phased by this at all and waited until Linos was right in front of him before easily smacking him aside with the broad side of his sword. As Linos landed a few feet away from them in the dirt, Tzan Ren whistled, calling Hei Gou to his side. "I don't have the time or energy to keep her obedient and compliant. She is not to move from this spot and nor are you. Understand?" he bellowed. Hei Gou moved over An and roughly placed his claw on An's snout, pinning her to the ground before giving his master a curt nod.

Just as Tzan Ren turned around, he noticed his son was nowhere in sight. His head shot back and forth quickly, trying to catch a glimpse of him when all of a sudden, he felt two talons wrap firmly around his shoulders and hoist him into the air. Linos flew high up with his father in his grip and before Tzan Ren even had the chance to counter with his shadow lightning, Linos flipped in the air and with all his might threw his father down towards the surface. However, Tzan Ren quickly opened a shadow portal right in front of him and disappeared into it.

"Huh? What the?" Linos gasped in shock. Before he could even register what had happened, a shadow portal opened behind him and Tzan Ren emerged from within it. He jumped out of the portal and onto Linos' back, wrapping his arms around his son's neck to keep a tight grip. The sudden motion nearly made Linos lose his balance but he was able to adjust for the add weight and stay stable in mid-air. He tried shaking his father off, but the demon had a tight grip around his shoulders. Tzan Ren kept one arm around Linos' neck while reaching down to the brown arrow marking on Linos' left side. He slowly dug his sharp fingers in, piercing his son's skin, causing him to cry out in pain, as two thin stream of blood began pouring out..

"I remember I gave you this scar," Tzan Ren whispered into his son's ear maliciously. "Tell me, does it still hurt?"

"Why don't I give you one to match?" Linos growled back. He swiftly elbowed his father's gut, driving the spike on his elbow right through the armor and piercing skin, but not deep enough to do any significant damage. At the same time, Linos sunk his fangs into his father's arm, right below the elbow where the armor was weaker. Tzan Ren cried out in pain at both attacks and his grip immediately loosened. Linos reached back at the same time, grabbing Tzan Ren's other arm and spinning in the air before throwing him right to the ground. However, Tzan Ren shot out a shadow tendril that wrapped around Linos' ankle, pulling him down to the surface with him. The pair landed several feet away from each other, causing a thick cloud of dust to cover the area. As it began settling, both demons pushed themselves off the ground to continue the fight.

Tzan Ren smirked before advancing towards his son, who was still trying to recover. "To think that even after all this time, she is still loyal to you. Just like with your mother and now you've infected my hound with your compassion and influence! You cost me a servant!" he shouted angrily.

As he finished his rant, he marched up and punched Linos right in the jaw just as he was trying to sit up. "Aaah!" Linos coughed on his hands and knees, trying to regain some of his strength as he felt blood dripping from the his split lip. He froze instantly when he felt the cool metal of his father's sword rest lightly on the back of his neck.

"How about it, my son? The deaths of my commanders is a minimal loss to me and this world will undoubtedly fall under my control. I can offer you a swift and clean death so that you won't have to witness the destruction of everything you hold dear." Linos grit his teeth, refusing to even give his father the satisfaction of a reply. "No, no you don't deserve a quick death. After all the trouble you've caused me, after everything you've taken from me, you should suffer!"

"Everything I took from you?" Linos shouted angrily, shocked that his father would even consider that to be the case between the two of them. "You're the one who took everything from me! You were my father, you were supposed to raise me, care about me and protect me! That's what father's do! But instead all you ever did was mistreat me and abuse me!"

"Because you were weak! I was trying to teach you a lesson, trying to make you strong!"

"And at any point did you realize that your tactics weren't working?"

"My methods have worked before; you were just a bad seed. But I believe I have a way to deal with that," Tzan Ren said, turning around and stepping a few feet away.

"What are you doing?" Linos asked.

"Obviously, you won't listen to anything I say. Call it disobedience or your hatred for me, regardless, I know when words and intimidation no longer work." Tzan Ren held out his hand as a shadow portal opened up in the ground in front of him. A large creature of pure black energy and striking, bright red eyes emerged. Linos' eyes widened in horror as he slowly began to recognize the figure before him. It couldn't possibly… It just couldn't! He tried to rationalize in his head any reasonable explanation for anything else that could justify the sight before him, but deep down, he knew there was only one truth.

"I-is that?" he started whispering, unable to finish his sentence because of how much he was purely dreading hearing the answer.

"If you won't listen to me, then perhaps you'll listen to your mother!"

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**Same deal guys: 5 non-anonymous reviews and I'll post the chapter early. Otherwise, it'll come on friday.**

**Next chapter: Songbird**


	20. Songbird

**Daaaaaaayyuuuumm (imagine this in a Ken Jeong's voice)! Where was this enthusiasm like two weeks ago guys? Then again, I suppose since this is the finale bit, you guys are eager to find out the end. Plus I did drop a cliffy on you earlier X3**

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Linos looked up at the shadowy, winged creature before him. It couldn't be her, it just couldn't! The creature was completely black, much like his father's astral form, and oozing a shadowy mist. Those bright red eyes were locked with his own and Linos could make out specific details in the creature's form. It had a pair of large wings along with a second pair of smaller wings just situated below them and a long ponytail. He tried to speak, but the sheer shock of what he was facing just rendered him speechless. All he was able to mutter was a weak, "M-mom?"

"Hehehe, that's what I was waiting for: that look of pure shock on your face! As the humans say, it is priceless!" he grinned.

"Wh-what have you done to her?" Linos shouted, glaring at his father more viciously than he ever had before.

"Before I banished you to this world, I had an alternate solution. But your mother begged me to spare your life. I refused. When she saw that I could not be reasoned with, she used that song of hers on me. I had been under the influence of her music before, so I had some experience resisting it, but even with my resistance, she managed to compel me to spare you. It was the most she was capable of doing. She didn't want to send you away, but banishment to this world worked in her favor in two ways: you would be among the humans you loved so much and you would be far from my reach. She kept me under her song as long as she could, but when her energy finally wore out, I set out to finish what I started. But as I expected, she stood in my way yet again. Her song may not have worked on me anymore, but she was willing to fight me to protect you. I humored her at first, thinking that she was simply confused and that she would come to her senses and realize that I was right." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes before focusing his gaze on Linos. "But it seems you were singing a more powerful song to her."

"I wasn't singing any song to her!"

"Yes, you were! Before you were born, Hsian Ji was my Demon Siren! She was a fierce warrior and power Demon Sorceress. Her screams would strike fear into our enemies and her death song killed all who heard its melody. We fought and killed countless humans together. And then… and then you came along. We made the choice when she told me she had conceived to return to the Netherworld to safely raise you. Newborn demons made easy prey for Chi Wizards. But when you were finally born, I could see that you were… different. That look you had in those disgustingly innocent and naive eyes of yours was exactly like that of my sister's. I knew you were trouble from the minute you were born and everyday I could see it: you infecting my Siren with your influence."

"What are you talking about?"

"All of a sudden, it was like Hsian Ji wasn't herself anymore. I looked at my wife and all I saw was a stranger. Now she was kind and compassionate! She wouldn't even kill anymore because of how much it upset you! It was like nothing else mattered to her… except you."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous."

"I wasn't jealous!" Tzan Ren roared. "You turned out to be far more devious than I thought. Even as a child, you weren't trying to turn my own commanders against me like I had expected you to. You were turning her against me."

"What the hell are you talking about? I was just a child! Do you have any idea how crazy you sound?"

"I'm not crazy at all. You turned my wife against me. You turned her into your 'Songbird'."

"That was just a nickname I came up with when I was a kid! She sang me to sleep every night!" Linos argued, but his father continued his speech.

"I tried to change her back, but she was too far gone. She left me with no other choice…"

"S-so that's why you killed her? Because she changed? You sick bastard, what the hell is wrong with you? You killed her!" he roared.

"I saved her! I freed her from your parasitic influence!" Tzan Ren shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at his son. "She was my beautiful Demon Siren and then you changed her, turned her into your Songbird! But now, now she has never been more beautiful!" he laughed madly.

"H-how is this even possible?"

"Want to know how I did it? It's very simple really. After I drove my sword through her, I extracted her astral form before she had the chance to escape." Linos quickly recalled the nightmare he had several weeks ago of the image of his father tearing out a ghostly white bat from his mother's corpse. "You remember my Shadow Thief ability? Well, let's just say that it works just as well on living beings as it does on chi powers."

"You…" Linos could barely even form the words. He was just so angry, filled with hatred that made his entire body burn intensely. He didn't understand it; he couldn't understand it! He physically couldn't comprehend how someone could just do that to the person they chose to love and share their lives with! "You vile bastard! I'll kill you!" Linos charged ahead with a beat of his wings towards his father. He wasn't thinking clearly, only focused on making his father pay for everything he had done. He was so focused on his father that he didn't notice the shadow form of his mother let out a sonic scream that sent him flying back.

"Actually you won't. I believe you and your mother have some things to sort out," Tzan Ren replied casually. He sent his broadsword into the ground and leisurely sat on a piece of debris to watch the sight before him.

He snapped his fingers and Shadow-Hsian Ji leapt for an attack. Linos moved out of the way just in time and took off into the stopped to turn around and assess the situation, but was nearly knocked out of the air when his mother zoomed up to him at an incredible speed. Linos was knocked to the side, but spread his wings and managed to stabilize himself. He caught sight of his mother in the distance, slowly flying to turn around for another assault. If he were fighting anyone else, Linos wouldn't hesitate to unleash the loudest sonic scream or all the shadow tendrils he could muster. But… but this was his mother, the person who raised him and loved him unconditionally and the person who gave her life in an attempt to protect him. He couldn't bring himself to hurt her, not now, not ever. He just couldn't!

All Linos could do was move out of the way of his mother trying to knock him out of the sky. He kept doing this over and over, unwilling to make a counter attack, something his father must have been counting on. When his mother circled back for a fourth time, he prepared to move out of the way when all of a sudden, she opened her mouth and let out a piercing sonic shriek. Linos cried out as the sound struck his eyes. Normally he could withstand sharp and sudden noises, but this one practically felt like it was stabbing his ears. His mother took advantage of his momentary paralysis to pounce on him and drag him straight to the ground. She perched her taloned feet on his shoulders like a bird ready to feast on her captured prey.

"AAAHH!" Linos cried out in pain as Hsian Ji pierced his wings with her own wing nails. He panted heavily and looked up to the dark face of his mother. "M-mother… please…" he whispered.

* * *

Hsian Ji sat perched atop a large rock in the Netherworld. Once again, Linos had managed to wander off while she was distracted only this time he wasn't playing hide and seek with her. She had used her True Sight and saw no sign of him in the immediate area. So instead, here she sat, listening carefully for him. She had to weed through the sounds of other demons and extend her range in all directions, until finally…

"Mommy!" It was faint, but she knew what she heard. He was calling out for her, sniffling and crying! Without another thought, she leapt into the air and propelled herself ahead with a sonic scream. She didn't know what came over her; she had never felt like this before. It was like something in her was just pulling her to her baby, some invisible cord binding them together that she couldn't shake free from. Before she was always so independent, but now she was so focused on him, where he was, what he was doing and if he was ok. What had come over her? She had heard the rumors of Lang Yan supposedly going soft in the wake of motherhood. Was that what was happening with her?

Was it true? Had she gone soft? She had certainly noticed that Linos was… different. But something deep within her didn't seem to care that he was different. He was her baby. It was her job to protect him and care for him and with the way things were going between her and her husband, he certainly wasn't going to do it. She didn't have time to think about how having Linos had changed her or if it was for the better or worse, all she knew was that her child was scared and in trouble and that he needed her.

She followed the sounds of her son until she crossed into a snowy territory covered with ice spikes. A cold breeze blew by her, causing her to shiver slightly, but she pressed on regardless. She caught sight of Dong Xin, the Ice Demon Sorcerer bending down to reach for something in a small cave. She blinked her eyes, activating her thermal vision and noticed a second, smaller creature in the cave. She narrowed her eyes and swooped down to Dong Xin, knocking the towering demon to the ground, causing his staff to fly out of his grip and helmet to fall off and land in the snow.

"What is the meaning of this!" Dong Xin bellowed, pushing himself off the snow and reaching for his staff. "You are trespassing!" he shouted, sending four icicles flying towards Hsian Ji. Instead, she opened her mouth and shattered the icicles with a sonic scream.

"And you have something that belongs to me!" she shouted loudly, her voice echoing off the ice.

"He was trespassing! He is to be punished!" Dong Xin argued, pointing the iced tip of his spear at the hidden, tiny demon.

"You will not lay a hand on him! He is just a child! He doesn't know any better!" Linos slowly peeked out of the cave when he heard his mother's voice. His face lit up when he saw he and he quickly ran over to her after cautiously looking at Dong Xin. The ice demon looked like he was ready to strike, but Hsian Ji was equally ready to counter, and Dong Xin knew it. Linos quickly hid behind his mother's leg and clung to her tightly. "I am taking my son and we are leaving," she declared, bending down and lifting Linos into her arms with her smaller wings. Linos readily held his arms up to receive hers and wrapped his arms tightly around her neck.

"This is not over, Hsian Ji. He will pay for this transgression!"

"You will not harm my son, Dong Xin, not while I'm around." She didn't spend another second to let Dong Xin say something in response and took off into the air. Linos was silent the entire time and Hsian Ji sighed before speaking. "How many times do I have to tell you?"

"N-not to wander off on my own," he sniffled, avoiding eye contact. "I'm sorry mom, I won't do it again! I promise!" He buried his head into her shoulder and she could feel his tears on her skin. She sighed and stopped flying ahead, hovering in place as her giant wings flapped. She pulled Linos off her and held him in front of her with her smaller wings.

"I'm not angry with you, Linos. I was terrified that something happened to you and something almost did! Please, you must promise me to be more attentive, think before you act."

"I promise," he sniffled. "B-but will you still be there w-when I need you?"

"I'm your mother, Linos; I will always be there for you," she smiled, wiping the tears away. "Now, no more tears! Why don't we practice some flying?"

"B-but I only know how to glide!"

"It's just like gliding, you just have to flap your wings too! Come on, just try it. I'll catch you if you fall. I promise."

"O-ok." Linos started flapping his wings, trying to keep himself in the air as he held onto his mother's wing talons. "I-I'm doing it! I'm flying!" he cheered. Hsian Ji smiled with pride as she led her son through the clouds. As they flew, she reached out with her smaller wings to adjust his position and straighten him out. Hsian Ji did a sideways spin in the air, which her son mimicked as they laughed happily.

* * *

Linos stared up in fear and apprehension as the shadowy figure of his mother hunched over him. All of a sudden, his eyes went wide and she reared her head up and shrieked loudly. Both Linos and Tzan Ren quickly covered their eyes as she screamed, stepping off of Linos and thrashing about wildly.

"What is going on? Obey me!" Tzan Ren shouted, advancing and shocking her with black lightning which only made her scream and thrash about even more.

"Leave her alone!" Linos shouted, knocking his father back with a sonic scream. He then turned his attention to his mother. He could see she was in pain and if he had to guess, trying to fight off his father's control and influence. She was fighting, which means he had gotten through to her. Somehow her maternal instinct must have been stronger than Tzan Ren had anticipated. "Mom… mom, it's ok," he said, carefully and cautious approaching her. He held out his hands in a calm manner, hoping to ease her. "It's me, Linos, your son, remember?"

She suddenly stopped thrashing and locked her eyes with his. She slowly, hesitantly approached him and reached her wing out slowly to touch him, to make sure he was really there. Linos reached out with his hand slowly, ready to receive her wing when Tzan Ren suddenly shot a bolt of lightning at her back, causing her to cry out in pain. She instantly began thrashing about once more, knocking both Tzan Ren and Linos back with either of her large wings. Linos landed roughly on the ground and slowly pushed himself up. He noticed something on the ground just ahead of him and quickly recognized it as the Virgo Sign his father had carelessly tossed aside after using it to reconstruct his body.

"Power of Recovery… restore wounds, but in the hands of someone with Shuo Guang's blood, it can do so much more," Linos exhaled, remembering his father's words. He was quickly pulled out of his thoughts as his rampaging mother advanced on him yet again. He looked at the Virgo Sign then back at his mother and finally back at the Sign. "Well, Shuo Guang's my aunt, so that's gotta count for something." Linos held out his hand with the Sign facing his mother just as she reached him. "Here goes nothing." He squeezed tightly as she opened her mouth and a bright white ray of light shot out from the Sign. Linos shut his eyes at the bright light while all he could hear was his mother's pained cries slowly die down.

When the light finally faded, he opened his eyes and saw no sign of his shadowy mother in front of him. Instead, floating down to the ground was a small, winged white wisp. Linos quickly rose to his feet, tucked the Virgo Sign onto his belt and carefully caught the wisp in his hand, gently holding it up. "Mom…" he sighed in relief. Whatever the Virgo Sign did, it must have worked. He honestly didn't know what would happen and even if he'd be able to use it to the same degree as his father. All he knew was that he wanted his mother to be well. And while the Sign didn't reconstruct a body for her, it appeared to have completely purged Tzan Ren's Shadow Demon Chi from her astral form. He was no expert, but from the looks of it, she was weak, very weak. And he couldn't blame her.

"What have you done? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" Tzan Ren shouted angrily. "You're ruined everything!"

Linos glared angrily at his father before turning his attention back to his weakened mother's form and softening his expression. "You protected me from him once before, now it's my turn to protect you, mom," he said, holding his mother's frail, tiny form close.

* * *

**I know this chapters wasn't as long as previous ones like the two Hou Yi and Jun vs chapters, but the Tzan Ren vs Linos fight is spread out over three chapters. Either way, I hope you're enjoy the hell outta it :)**

**What is it with me writing Hsian Ji scenes and just getting all teary eyed in the process T~T I think one of my favorite things about writing these stories has been that the main character isn't mine. Sure it a whole group of character D-Sniper and I made up, but I consider Linos to be the main protagonist of the whole story. He is the de-facto leader and usually major stuff in the arcs have something to do with him, esp this one lol. When we were first concepting this chapter, I knew I wanted to throw in another flashback scene as a means to kinda "break" TZ's hold on HJ. And I knew right away what moment from her past to write about :D**

**That leaves us with only one chapter left guys! Now despite my usual 5 reviews deal I've had in place recently, I think I'll wait until friday to post the final chapter. It is ready, but I just need the extra time to finish up those 2 arc 4 characters I promised to post once this story finished :) Like with what we've been doing the past two arcs, the last bit of the final chapter will reveal our villains for arc 4, some old faces, some new ;)  
**

**Next chapter: Pierce the Darkness, Linos' plan to defeat Tzan Ren for good doesn't wash over well with his friends.**


	21. Pierce the Darkness

**Well here we are at last guys, the end of arc 3. I must say, it's been a long time coming. I remember how much I just wanted to get to this ending right away when we were just starting arc 3 XD**

* * *

"What do you think's going on in there?" Drago asked as the six of them still stood outside the last shadow dome.

"I don't know," Tim answered. None of them knew, but Tim didn't like the uncomfortable silence and even if he was already thinking the same thing as everyone else, he just had to say something.

"We shouldn't have let him go in there!" Mavis cried in worry, pacing back and forth.

"But it's not like we can do anything. The barrier prevents any of us from even entering," Arran reasoned.

"Screw this, I'm not letting my friend go in there without at least a little help," Remy said. He pulled out his collapsible jian and poured a vial of his blood over the blade.

"What are you doing?" Mala asked.

"Giving him some help," Remy replied. He raised his arm and flung the sword as hard as he could into the air. They all watched the sword spin before disappearing into the dome.

"How do you know it won't hit Linos?" Tim asked.

"I don't," he replied with a frown.

"Linos is resourceful and smart. I'm sure he'll be fine," Arran said, trying to raise their spirits while all they could do was wait.

"Fine? FINE? Mala foresaw his death! How is he going to be fine!" Mavis shouted.

"Well," Mala spoke up, "my mother foresaw that Liao She would kill me and she changed that. She changed my fate; we just have to hope that Linos can change his own fate."

* * *

"You think you can defeat me? You are nothing but a weak child!" Linos' head shot back and forth as his father's voice seemed to be coming from all around him. His father had manifested black shadows, leaving Linos completely in darkness. He tried to dispel them, but clearly his father's use of shadow magic was superior to his own. "I am the Shadowbeast, the Night Terror! I am Darkness Incarnate!" he bellowed. Linos closed his eyes, trying to block out his father's taunts. "You think you can protect her? She couldn't even protect you!" Linos opened his eyes again, activating his thermal vision. He scanned the shadows around him until he finally caught sight of something moving in the distance. It suddenly rushed towards him and Linos quickly opened his mouth and let out a sonic scream. He heard his father cry out and reform in his physical body as the shadows around them disappeared.

"Interesting," he groaned, pushing himself up. "It seems you've inherited your mother's True Sight."

"True Sight? That's what it's called?" Linos asked.

"Yes. Your mother's secondary power allowed her to see things… differently. Heat signatures, transparent vision, being able to see the weak points in things. She made quite good use of it. Unfortunately, that power will be of no help to you!" Just as Tzan Ren prepared to attack, a sword suddenly came out of nowhere and hit him right in the shoulder. He roared out in pain as his arm twisted and contorted in pain as his skin sizzled. Linos watched in confusion, but recognized the blade as one of Remy's, meaning that the red substance on it also had to be his blood. Tzan Ren reached up with his other arm and pulled the blade out with a shadow tendril before tossing it aside. "So it seems your friends still mean to aid you. When this is over, they will be the first to die!" he panted.

Tzan Ren charged, raising his large orange broadsword over his head. Linos quickly rolled out of the way just as his father brought the blade down on where he had just been standing. Without hesitation, he quickly reached for Remy's sword and held it out with the tip pointed at his father, which only seemed to make him laugh. "You think you can defeat me with that pathetic blade?"

"We'll just see about that," Linos replied, charging forward with the sword. Tzan Ren simply smirked in response and deflected the sword easily. Linos tried again and again, but his father expertly countered with precision.

"You never did have the hands for a sword, just like your mother," he taunted.

However, this only made Linos angry and he began recklessly striking with the sword, but still didn't end up making a hit. Tzan Ren stepped back, avoiding one strike and quickly brought his broadsword down on the smaller blade, instantly breaking it into pieces. The force of the blow pushed Linos back roughly on the ground as he held the sword handle in his hand and pieces of the blade scattered around him. Tzan Ren stepped over Linos, placing his right foot and pinning Linos down on his left shoulder. He flipped his broadsword around and slowly drove the silver, fang-like end into Linos' other shoulder. He cried out in pain and struggled, but his father kept him pinned to the ground.

"Accept your defeat, my son. Your fate is inevitable."

Linos bit hard through the pain and struggled to open his eyes, glaring angrily at his father. He caught sight of An in the distance away from them, still being brutally pinned down by an obedient Hei. If he could somehow free An from his father's control, then she could fight with him! They'd be even! But how? He looked over to his right hand and saw the tip of Remy's sword was only a few inches away from his reach. What was it his father said? That he could see through Hei and An's eyes with his own? He bit down on his lip as his father maliciously twisted the blade in his shoulder, the pain and his own screams blocking out whatever taunt Tzan Ren was delivering. He didn't have time to waste on the theory, he had to act. He slowly reached out for the blade, careful not to draw his father's attention to what he was secretly doing. He hissed when he felt Remy's blood on the blade burn his fingers, but he fought through the pain and took the sword tip in his hands. He cried out in pain, a combination of the blade in his shoulder and his friend's blood burning his hand and swiftly brought his hand up and drove the sword tip into his father's left eye.

Tzan Ren roared in pain and reared his head back. He stepped off Linos, allowing him to remove the blade from his shoulder and get up. As the blood seared and burned at Tzan Ren's eye and flesh, he shakily reached up to the blood and cursed when he felt the blade burn him. He bit through the pain and tore the blade out of his eye, which bled profusely. "What is this?" he shouted.

"Hunter blood, courtesy of my friend," Linos grinned. He looked behind Tzan Ren and saw An suddenly slip out from Hei's grip and race over to him, jumping onto Tzan and knocking him down in the process. "You on my side now?" he asked. An looked up at him with wide, happy eyes and wagged her tail back and forth. She barked twice before nuzzling up to him. "Good girl, glad to have you back. I know you'll want to stay and help me, but there's something very important I need you to do." Linos bent down to her while his father still reeled in pain at Remy's blood while Hei moved to his side. He reached onto his belt and pulled out the Virgo Sign. "Take this to Arran, ok?" She nodded and took the Sign in her mouth. "And don't come back here," he added, causing her to look at him in confusion. He quickly pulled her into a hug and whispered to her, "Be a good girl, An, just please do this last thing for me. And look after my friends, especially Mavis. Now go," he pulled away, ordering An to run off. She was reluctant to leave him, but obeyed his order and dashed off.

Hei was ready to run after her, but Tzan Ren held out his broadsword to block his path. "Don't waste your energy, Hei. An will pay for her treachery." The two demons charged at each other again, roaring like two wild animals ready to kill each other. Linos was able to knock Tzan Ren's broadsword away with his sonic scream. He narrowly avoided Hei's flames and came up behind his father. He wrapped one arm under his father's left arm and around his neck while trying to hold the other with his hand despite the wound on his shoulder still irritating him. Linos cried out in pain as he felt something bite his leg. He just managed to peek down and see Hei's massive jaw wrapped around his lower right leg. But Linos wouldn't let the pain get to him. He tightened his grip on his father all while desperately trying to ignore the pain that was shooting up through his entire leg and torso.

"What I have in store for you and your friends is only just beginning!" Tzan Ren hissed as he struggled against his son's grip.

"That's where you're wrong; it's already over!"

* * *

Agonizingly slow minutes passed since Remy threw his blood-coated sword into the abyss, and still they had no word of what was going on inside. For all they knew, Linos and Tzan Ren could still be fighting… or Linos could already be dead, a grim thought that they all quickly pushed out of their minds. That was the last thing they wanted to think about and despite the grim future Mala foresaw, they had to remain hopeful that their friend would prevail. All of a sudden, An Gou burst out of the dome and landed in front of them, pulling them all from their deep thought.

"What the hell?" Drago exclaimed.

"It's An!" Mala quickly recognized.

An strolled up to them and stood in front of Arran, holding out her head to him. He looked confused at first, but quickly understood and bent down. Once he held open his hand, she gently placed the object she held in her mouth onto his palm and backed up.

"What is it?" Mavis asked as they all gathered around him.

"Virgo. It's the last Sign," Arran gasped, standing up.

"Arran!" Linos' voice suddenly rang out loudly.

"Linos?" Mavis shouted into the air.

"Where are you?" Tim asked as they all looked around for the source of his voice, but he was nowhere in sight.

"I'm still inside," he answered. "I've got my dad, b-but I can't hold him down much longer."

"He's using his Sound Demon Chi to amplify his voice to us," Mala realized.

"Did she give it to you? An?" Linos asked.

"Yeah, I've got the Virgo Sign," Arran answered.

"Good, then you know what you have to do."

"B-but what about Mala's vision?" he asked.

"I don't care! You made me a promise, Arran and I need you to follow through!"

"Arran, what is he talking about?" Remy asked.

Arran sighed and began explaining. "A few weeks ago, Linos was having some… troubling nightmares about his father. I spoke with him about them in private and he knew that this moment would come: a final showdown between him and his father. Do you remember when I told you how my mother died?"

"You said Tzan Ren completely obliterated her," Tim said.

"Yes. Tzan Ren used his power over Pure Shadow to completely destroy her. No astral form, no possible chance of ever coming back. But with light and dark, it works both ways."

"What do you mean?" Drago asked.

Arran summoned his Signs and placed Virgo in the last empty slot. Simultaneously, each of the sun-shaped rings glowed brightly for a moment and Arran himself began glowing. "Just as Pure Darkness can destroy a being of Pure Light, Pure Light can destroy a being of Pure Darkness," he explained, extending his arm and forming his light bow.

"Whoa, whoa, what do you think you're doing?" Mavis shouted, moving in front of Arran.

"I made him a promise," Arran said firmly.

"But my vision! I saw him being shot with an arrow, every single time!" Mala protested.

"This was before you told us about your vision, Mala. Linos begged me, made me promise that if it came down to it and there was no other way, then I would use my power to take them both out," Arran sniffled, fighting back the tears and trying to remain strong in the face of this ordeal. "H-he was ok with the idea of being gone… as long as it meant that all of you and this world would be safe from his father."

"He's right," Linos' voice rang out again. "Don't be mad at Arran; I asked him to do this. I knew none of you would be ok with it, which is why I chose to ask him. He didn't know me as long as all of you and… and he's family. He was the only one I could count on to do this."

"I'm sorry," Arran whispered.

"Don't be. I'm sorry for making you do this, cousin. And I'm sorry to all of you guys. I just want you to know that you all mean so much to me. Meeting all of you was the best thing that ever happened to me and I can't imagine my life without any of you," he said, as they all struggled to hold back their tears. "And Mavis…"

"Linos?" she sniffled.

"I guess there's no point in keeping it a secret, is there?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I love you, Mavis. I've always loved you," he confessed.

"W-what?" she gasped, her eyes wide in shock as tears ran down her freckled cheeks.

"I never told you before because I was afraid of what you might think. I know you had no problem with me being a demon, but that was as your friend. I was afraid that it wouldn't work between us. I'm sorry I never told you…"

Mavis cast her head down sadly and mumbled under her breath. "You idiot. You should have said something sooner!"

"I know, I should have. I hope you can forgive me for this. Arran, do it now! I can't hold him down much longer!" Linos shouted.

Arran nodded and took a deep breath to recompose himself. He pulled back his bowstring, forming a golden light arrow. The Signs floating over his back in a circle began spinning rapidly, forming a single circle of light, almost like a giant halo over his back. Energy poured from the halo towards the arrow, imbuing it with every last bit of strength Arran could muster and turning it pure white.

"No!" Mavis cried in tears, reaching out to stop Arran, but Mala quickly rushed to her side and hugged her tightly. Mavis struggled as Mala pulled her away from Arran before she gave up and fell to her knees, completely breaking down into tears.

"This is for my mother," Arran whispered, staring into the black abyss before him and releasing the arrow. They all watched in awe as the brilliant, white arrow pierced the black dome, instantly pushing away at the shadows as they vanished.

Linos tightened his grip on his father when he felt him struggle as the arrow neared them. Eventually the arrow got so close that it was tough to keep his eyes open, but for some reason the intense light didn't bother him. His father howled in pain as the arrow pierced through his chest that Linos felt the arrow begin to pierce his own skin. As Tzan Ren continued shrieking loudly in pain, his body began disintegrating into mist that the light arrow and the energy it gave off obliterated. Once he felt the arrow pierce his chest completely, it exploded, sending out wave after wave of light energy. The force of the explosion pushed the three shadow demons away from each other in separate directions. He watched in silent awe as both his father and Hei Gou were completely disintegrated by the light. He couldn't bear to look at his own body to see it disintegrate as well and instead shut his eyes tightly. He couldn't feel anything, which he took as a blessing given how much his father and Hei were howling in pain as they were being destroyed. At least he wouldn't have to feel anything while he died. His thoughts drifted to that of his friends and how angry and sad they would be with his decision and the consequences. But he could leave this world happy and in peace just knowing that they were safe, that they would all be safe now. He closed his eyes, content with himself to let the light just take him away.

Meanwhile, the others shielded their eyes as Arran's arrow exploded in a bright light, destroying the dome in front of them. A beam of light shot up into the sky and shattered the larger dome surrounding the entire city and allowing sunlight to shine on the city once more.

"Is… is it over?" Tim asked.

"I think so, but we should double check, just to be safe," Arran said.

Everyone was silent the entire walk. Their friend had just killed their other friend, albeit at his own request, but still. There was an awkward and uncomfortable silence in the air and nobody knew what to say. Mavis sniffled every now and then and wiped her tears on her glove. She did her best not to be too loud and tried to avoid drawing too much attention to herself with her crying.

"Anything?" Mala asked, walking up to Arran who scanned the area with his Libra Sign.

"Nothing," he replied. "No trace of Tzan Ren anywhere and if they're smart, any remaining Shadow Legion members will have retreated and returned to the Netherworld."

"I...I just can't believe he'd do this," Mavis sniffled, falling to her knees.

Arran moved next to Mavis and wrapped his arm around her. "I know I didn't know Linos as well or as long as you did, but I know he cared about you. He told me about the last time his father came here and how much it affected you in particular," he said, which prompted Mavis to look up at him with teary eyes. "He'd lived with that darkness his entire life and he was willing to sacrifice himself to keep you and everyone else he cared about from ever having to face it. I-if it makes you feel better, you can blame me."

Mavis sniffed and rubbed her red and puffy eyes, "No, no, I shouldn't blame you. You were just doing what he wanted."

As Arran comforted her, An sniffed the ground intensely. She glided across the crumbled sidewalk with grace and speed, carefully searching for something until her heard suddenly perked up and she ran over to a nearby tree and began scratching at the bark with her claws.

"What's she doing?" asked Drago.

"Not sure," Tim said as the two walked over to An. "What are you doing, An?" Just as he bent down to see what had gotten An so riled up, something suddenly fell out of the tree and landed roughly on top of him. "OW!"

The commotion instantly drew everyone's attention and they ran over, gasping at what had fallen onto Tim. "Linos?" they all exclaimed. Mavis' head instantly shot up and she ran over to her friends, pushing them out of her way to see with her own eyes. Sure enough, right before them was Linos with his giant wings sprawled out over Tim, who feebly struggled to get out from under the giant bat demon.

"H-help… please," Tim weakly muttered, trying to claw his way out from under his friend.

Everyone quickly reached down to help Linos and Tim up, all the while bombarding Linos with questions on how he could have possibly survived Arran's pure light arrow. He quickly shifted into his human form as his friends guided him over to a slightly damaged bench. "I… I don't know," he exhaled in awe. "How am I alive? I felt the arrow hit me right in the chest and everything!" Liam lifted the collar of his shift, but saw not impact or wound where the arrow had hit him. "I don't understand!"

"I think I might have an answer," Arran said. "The only way to stop Tzan Ren for good was with my pure light powers, but I couldn't access them without all twelve Signs."

"But you said pure light will destroy anything of pure darkness," Mala pointed out.

"That I did. Tzan Ren - and I imagine Hei Gou as well - were completely obliterated by my arrow because they were beings of pure darkness and shadow. They're never coming back."

"So why wasn't Liam affected? Not that I'm not happy you survived or anything," Remy quickly added.

"Because Liam isn't pure darkness," Arran added. "You're a hybrid, remember?"

Liam's eyes went wide as he gasped in realization. "You knew the entire time! That's why you were so ok with keeping that promise!"

"Well, I had a theory, a theory that I'm happy to see was correct," he smiled, laying a reassuring hand on his cousin's shoulder. Everyone else quickly leaned in and hugged him tightly, with the exception of Mavis, but they all pulled away when she felt something rustle under Liam's shirt.

"Uh, what was that?" Drago muttered.

Liam held open his collar and a small white, winged wisp weakly flew out. "Mom…" he whispered, holding out his hands for the wisp to sit on.

"That's your mom?" Tim asked as they all crowded around Liam to look at the wisp.

"Yeah. I was wondering why I could never sense her astral form, and it turned out my father was keeping her captive." Before Liam could say anything else, the little wisp took off into the air. "Mom!" Liam called out to her. "Where are you going?" he cried, reaching his hand out to try and stop her, but she was already high up and still flying away.

"Your mother's been trapped by your father for a long time. She needs to rest and when she's ready, I'm sure she'll come back to you," Arran smiled to him.

Liam noticed Mavis walk over to him and he quickly stood up and patted the dust off his clothes. "Mavis… Listen, I…"

"No you listen!" she shouted, quickly prompting the others to silently back away and leave the two alone to talk. "How many times have I told you how much I hate those last minute guy-confesses-to-a-girl-when-he's-about-to-die moments in a movie?"

"One hundred and eighteen," he sighed.

"Jesus, you actually kept track?" she cried.

"Call me crazy. Look, I know you must be furious with me, but you haven't exactly…"

"Exactly what?" she asked, crossing her arms impatiently.

"I told you that I love you," Liam said, looking down at his feet nervously. "So, do you love me?"

Mavis turned away and groaned as she grasped her pigtails and pulled on them. "It wasn't supposed to go down like this!"

"What are you talking about?" he looked at her confused. He was usually so good at reading her, but right now, he couldn't tell what was going on!

"I had this whole thing planned out and I was going to borrow a pretty dress from Mala and make this big display," she rambled on. Liam sighed and rolled his eyes before smiling. He reached out and grabbed Mavis' arm, pulled her into his arms and gently placed his lips on hers. The act instantly shut Mavis up as she looked at Liam with wide eyes. She instinctively tensed, but slowly relaxed into the kiss and wrapped her arms around Liam's neck, pulling him closer to her. Liam responded by wrapping his arms around her waist. When he pulled away, she stared at him silently before speaking, "You've never kissed anyone before… right?" she asked, cocking her eyebrow.

"Yeah," he answered nervously.

"Then how do you know what you're doing?"

"Those passionate make out scenes at the end of romantic movies? I studied a few of them… ok a lot of them… thoroughly," he admitted.

Mavis giggled and looked at him with a sweet smile. "You're such a dork. I love that about you." She smiled and leaned to kiss him again.

* * *

Deep in the recesses of the Netherworld, a large yellow-green dragon flicked rocks across the dusty ground. He sighed heavily, overcome with extreme boredom. There was nothing to do and there was no way out of this place. Everything he tried just blew up in his face and he was close to throwing in the towel and giving up for good. But something stopped him. There was a fire burning inside him and he just couldn't let this one go! He had come too far, spent too long on this dream and he wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted.

"Shen Du!" a loud voice bellowed, causing the dragon to whimper in fright and quickly look around for the source of the voice.

"Wh-who's there?" he hissed, instantly trying to mask the fear in his voice as he formed two fireballs in his hands. He looked all around him, but there was no one in sight.

"Ugh, you still frighten so easily, my son," the voice said with a mixture of disgust and disappointment and just a hint of pleasure in the torment or frightening Shen Du.

Shen Du's head perked up and he relaxed, recognizing the voice. "F-Father?"

"Who else would it be?"

"B-but how? I thought you were-"

"Sealed away in that vault? I'm still there you fool!" the voice shouted. "I've been saving my strength since my imprisonment and I've finally gathered enough strength to communicate across worlds."

"Th-then why have you called me?" Shen Du asked in confusion.

"Because I have been imprisoned for far too long. It is time I reclaim my rule on the human world; it is time to remind them who holds the power! But I cannot do anything from inside my prison, which is why I need you. I would have gone to your other siblings, but I know my children enough to know that they would betray me the instant they get the chance. You, at least, I can keep in line… right?" the sinister voice asked.

"Y-yes, of course father! I would never betray you! I swear!" Shen Du frantically answered.

"Very good, my son. Now, in order to secure my release, we will need the keys."

"You mean the ones forged from my own power?"

"And the power of your siblings. Humans are crafty, I will give them that. I never imagined they would be able to craft such magical items to cancel out my own abilities with that of my childrens'. But I nonetheless require them to break the seal on my prison. The spell that keeps me trapped here was done with those keys and I need them to undo it!"

"But how will I get to the human world? My gateway has been sealed for good!"

"Foolish boy! Lucky for you, your father thinks ahead. I've managed to conserve enough strength to both communicate with you and open up a portal to the human world. I have only enough strength to open one so when you get there, you will do exactly as I say, understand? One slip up and I will make you sorry that you were ever born!"

"Yes, father. I understand. I can recruit my son to assist us as well."

"What makes you think that I want the help of that half-breed of yours?" Shen Du's father sneered.

"I'm not talking about Drago; I'm talking about the other one."

* * *

**And that's it! Arc 3 is over! **

**The whole Linos vs Tzan Ren was quite an ordeal. We just had so many ideas of what to include in the fight, from the cerberus part, Hsian Ji and even a swordfight! It was hard to pinpoint and plan out where each part would occur at first, but I think we did a good job on it :)**

**I want to thank all of you wonderful readers and I hope that you've enjoyed this third installment of City Shadows as much as I have writing it! Please let us know your thoughts on the story in a comment :) Feedback helps us create a better story. **

**As for arc 4, yes the villain is Shen Du, at least one of them is, the other being Shen Du's father, a character we made up known as the Demon King. We played around with the idea of a Demon King within the Demon lore of JCA and I felt that if there was a king, he should be the father of Shen Du and co. since they were the most prominent/only Sorcerers we saw in the series. Before some of you ask, no, Shen Du's siblings will not be appearing in arc 4. I know some of you have been asking about Tso Lan's participation given his relationship with the now deceased Hou Yi, but I'm sad to say that you won't be hearing from him. **

**We also wanted to follow through with a theme of each arc kinda focusing on a demon member of the Strikers and their family. Arc 2 had focus on Mala and her mother, arc 3 Linos and his father and now it's Drago's term to find his resolution. Hope it turns out well for him and that he doesn't go back wandering to the dark side!**

**And yes... this "other one"... :3**


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